For the second straight year, the Ridge Meadows Flames will play in Game 7 of the Stonehouse Cup championship series.
The Flames forced the deciding game after an emotional 6-2 victory over the Richmond Sockeyes in Game 6 at Cam Neely Arena in Maple Ridge on Saturday, to tied the game 3-3 and avoid elimination.
The deciding game is scheduled for April 1 at 4 p.m. in Richmond, at Minoru Arena, where the Pacific Junior Hockey League champions will be crowned.
“They played phenomenal,” said GM Derek Bedard of his team. “It puts us where we want to be – with a chance to win the trophy.
Theo Kochan got the first two goals of the game in the first period, his 11th and 12th of the playoffs to stake the Flames to a 2-0 lead. But by the midpoint of the game the Sockeyes tied the game 2-2 with a power play goal.
Pierce Whyte got the game winner, and then the Flames piled on as Zack Lagrange scored a pair, and Whyte also scored his second his second of the game.
Matthew Candusso made 29 saves on 31 shots to get the win in goal.
“We played a great game, and got rewarded,” said Bedard.
Last season, the Flames lost game 7 in overtime to the Delta Ice Hawks, and this is their second straight season playing for the championship in a Game 7. The league trophy is named for the late Flames owner Ray Stonehouse, who was one of the great builders of the PJHL.
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