Burnaby defenceman Ryan Panichelli solved a devil of a problem for the Grandview Steelers.
The 20-year-old junior B blueliner scored in the second period of overtime to give the Burnaby-based Steelers a 2-1 victory over the North Delta Devils in Pacific Junior Hockey League play on Sunday.
Panichelli tallied the game-winner from defensive partner Colton Schock at 3: 05 of the second period of OT to give Grandview just its second win in six starts against the Devils.
In September, Grandview started the season with a win and an overtime loss to North Delta. But since then, the Steelers had lost three straight while being outscored 13-5 in that stretch.
North Delta currently holds a three-point lead over Grandview in the competitive Tom Shaw conference.
"It was a good win for us," said Grandview head coach Aldo Bruno. "There is something about North Delta. We have a hard time getting over the hump."
On Sunday, the Steelers, eager for a win following a 5-1 loss to the league-leading Abbotsford Pilots on Friday, outshot the third-place Devils 42-22 at the Burnaby Winter Club.
Grandview gave up the first goal in the final minutes of the first period, but drew level in the middle frame on Sean Lan's power-play goal and 14th of the season.
Joshua Friesen got the win in goal for Grandview. Tyler Read stopped 40 shots and was named second star of the game for the Devils.
Earlier, the Grandview club mustered just 19 shots in a 5-1 loss in Abbotsford on Dec. 7.
Lan, from Panichelli and Vik Sanghera on a power play, scored for the Steelers to make the score 2-1 late in the second period.
The Pilots tallied three third-period markers, including an empty-netter, to pad their 13-point lead in the Harold Brittain conference.
In contrast, the Shaw grouping contains four of the five top teams in the league, including Grandview.
"It's a very competitive conference when you look at it. We're in the mix - a couple of tweeks here and there and we should be all right," said Bruno.
On Friday, Grandview will be in Maple Ridge to take on the Ridge Meadows Flames at Planet Ice.
On Sunday, the Steelers are back at home for a must-win over the North Vancouver Wolf Pack. Game time is 4 p.m.
