It was just one goal, but the Grandview Steelers hope it's the start of something.
The Steelers wrapped up the Pacific Junior B Hockey League regular season on Sunday with a 5-4 overtime win over the Langley Trappers.
It took a second overtime session for the host Steelers to stop Langley, but Tristyn Olson’s 15th of the season, 2:49 into the second five-minute session, provided the win and what currently stands as momentum.
The squad hopes that it can carry it over as they jump into the playoffs against division rival Richmond, starting Thursday at Minoru Arena.
“We did get two points but over the last bit I think we played better than our record shows,” noted Grandview coach Stevan Matic. “Over the last little bit discipline has been an issue but we’ve worked on that and on our special teams, and those are going to be crucial (in the playoffs).”
Grandview does have a challenge on their hands – based on a fourth-place finish in the Tom Shaw Conference, 16 points back of third place Richmond. The Sockeyes scored 51 more goals than the Steelers over the season, and had the league's second-most stingiest defence. The local team, while posting the fourth-best goals against over 44 games, was mediocre when it came to offence.
However, Matic said his group are looking at the match-up as a chance to start fresh.
“We have nothing to lose but we don’t see ourselves as underdogs,” he noted. “We’ve a strong team and a solid group of veterans who are going to play hard and play one game at a time.”
The 23-19-2 Steelers did battle Richmond to a 2-2 record during the season, with a pair of 3-1 wins to their credit. Their last encounter, on Dec. 23, was a 4-3 loss.
Matic said a key part in any win will be slowing the Sockeyes down without incurring penalties.
“Definitely we have to make it a physical battle, finish our checks to set a tempo to our liking,” remarked the coach. “We’ve got to play smart hockey, have good puck management and make sure to avoid turning the puck over in scary places.”
The playoff series with Richmond continues Sunday, 7:15 p.m. at the Burnaby Winter Club, then Monday in Richmond. Game Four is slated for Feb. 20 in Burnaby. Other games, if necessary, will go Feb. 21 in Richmond, Feb. 24 in Burnaby, and Feb. 25 in Richmond.
The home-and-home series against Langley, if anything, prepared them for the possibility of overtime. Both games went to a second extra period, but at least Grandview collected the last win.
After Langley opened the scoring, the Steelers counted the next two, by Michael Martino and Kyle Forbes, to take a brief 2-1 lead. The Trappers tied it just two minutes later with a powerplay tally.
In the second period, the hosts got goals from Mateo Coltellaro, with his team-leading 25th of the year, and Martino to stake out a 4-2 advantage. But, despite holding a 12-8 shots edge in the third, they were unable to keep Langley from potting a pair to deadlock the game at 4-4.
In the earlier match that ended 4-3 for the Trappers, Grandview got three straight markers, off the sticks of Mateo Toledo, Ryan Taylor-Kuipers and Jarod Yau, to erase an early 2-0 deficit. Langley’s Corbin Genge tied it with 5:26 left in the third, then delivered the game winner with 42 seconds remaining in the second extra period.
Grandview will wear the underdog’s collar in the playoff opener, having finished fourth in the Tom Shaw Conference at 23-19-2, 16 points back of the Sockeyes (at 30-10-3-1). In head-to-head action, the Steelers battled Richmond to a 2-2 record, with a pair of 3-1 wins to their credit. Their last encounter, on Dec. 23, was a 4-3 loss.
Both teams are set in net with a pair of 20-year-old veterans, with Grandview led by Cale Dolan, and Richmond backstopped by Jeremy Kelleway. Dolan, who has played four games this season as a call-up for the Surrey Eagles of the B.C. Hockey League, owns an impressive 2.42 goals against average. Kelleway topped the league in save percentage, .938 per game, and was second in goals-against average, at 1.91.
"We have all the faith in the world with Cale, he's been terrific for us all season and he's gotten some junior A experience. He's a veteran and we feel he gives us confidence," said Matic.
The playoff series with Richmond continues Sunday, 7:15 p.m. at the Burnaby Winter Club, then Monday in Richmond. Game Four is slated for Feb. 20 in Burnaby. Other games, if necessary, will go Feb. 21 in Richmond, Feb. 24 in Burnaby, and Feb. 25 in Richmond.
