The Summerland Steam recovered from a four-goal disadvantage to defeat the Kelowna Chiefs 7-6 in overtime on Thursday.
The game was the fifth in the playoffs for the two teams.
“It was hard work by the boys,” said Gregg Wilson, co-owner and general manager of the team. “They didn’t quit.”
Kelowna dominated the first period with three consecutive goals.
At 15:42, the Chiefs scored on a power play to take the lead. Two more goals in rapid succession came later, with a power play at 7:54 and another goal at 7:43.
The Steam’s first goal of the game came at 7:09 when Paulsen Lautard scored, assisted by Daylan Robertson.
In the second period, the Chiefs added a power play goal at 17:26 and a power play at 8:36.
Near the end of the period, the Steam began to make a comeback.
Cole Woodliffe scored unassisted at 2:08 and Riley Pettitt, assisted by Jarrett Malchow and Wyatt Gale, scored at 1:06.
In the third period, the Steam continued to close the gap.
Braden Eliuk scored on a power play at 11:12, assisted by Lathan McKinney and Adam Jones.
Tyson Klingspohn tied the game with a goal at 10:16, assisted by Woodliffe and Lautard.
The Steam took the lead at 5:09 with a goal by Kendell Wilson, assisted by Eliuk and McKinney.
Then, with six seconds remaining in the third period, a Kelowna goal forced the game into overtime.
In the second overtime period, Woodliffe scored at 17:35, assisted by Robertson.
Wilson said the Kelowna lead early in the game came because of Steam penalties.
The two teams face each other again this evening, this time in Kelowna.
“It should be a very good game,” Wilson said. “I expect the kids to come out hard. It will be a very tight game.”
If Summerland wins tonights game, the Steam will take the playoff series. If not, the seventh game in the series will be held in Summerland on Saturday evening, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The winner of this playoff series will go on to face the Osoyoos Coyotes in the Okanagan Division Final, a best of seven series.
The first game in that series will be held March 2 in Osoyoos
The Osoyoos Coyotes finished off their series with the Princeton Posse with a 6-3 win at the Osoyoos Sun Bowl Thursday night. The Coyotes had lost a 2-0 lead and fell behind before getting back on track. Scoring for the Coyotes were Troy Maclise with two goals, Aaron Azevedo, Luc Gradisar, Bailey Shaver and Brett Jewell. Lawrence Langan made 30 saves for the win, while Stephen Heslop was yanked after allowing five goals on 51 shots. His backup Bailey Stephens made three of four saves. The Coyotes had taken a commanding 3-1 series lead after a 5-0 win on Tuesday. Scoring for the Coyotes was Azevedo, Rainer Glimpel with two, Shaver and Jackson Glimpel. Langan made 22 saves.
With files from the Summerland Review.