Liam Cumberbirch potted a goal with one second remaining in the first overtime session to give the Grandview Steelers a 3-2 victory over the Richmond Sockeyes on Wednesday at the Burnaby Winter Club.
The win gave the Steelers a 3-2 series lead, one-win away from advancing to the Pacific Junior B Hockey League semifinals.
Cumberbirch’s tally, set up by Malcolm Huemmert, came as the inaugural, 10-minute extra session was about to expire.
In regulation time, Grandview twice held the lead. They opened the scoring just 2:38 into the contest when Huemmert tallied unassisted. The visiting Sockeyes tied the score late in the second period, netting just their second powerplay goal of the series.
Restoring the Steelers’ lead three minutes into the third was veteran Adam Rota, with his fifth of the series, on a set-up from Jeffrey Wong and Ian Prevost.
But Richmond again replied with another extra-man marker, this time when Jackson Munro tied the game with 12:36 left in regulation.
In the extra session, Grandview applied plenty of pressure before Cumberbirch scored, firing 11 shots at the Sockeyes’ net.
Game 6 was played yesterday (Thursday) after the NOW’s deadline. A seventh game will go Sunday, 4 p.m. at the BWC, if necessary.
