The Ridge Meadows Flames won game five of the Stonehouse Cup on Thursday night, and are now in a position to clinch the championship on home ice at Cam Neely Arena on Saturday, April 1.

The Flames took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series for the Pacific Junior Hockey League championship by beating the Delta Ice Hawks by a convincing 7-3 score.

The Flames trailed the game 3-2 heading into the third period, but Jack Foster tied it about three minutes into the final frame, on the power play. Pierce Whyte got the game-winner about 30 seconds later, and then Ridge piled on three insurance goals against the stunned Ice Hawks. That was five unanswered goals for the Flames.

Zack Lagrange was the first star of the game, for the third time in this championship series, as the Pitt Meadows product had two goals and two assists.

7-3 win in Delta!
The hard hat winner, 🚨🚨➕🍎🍎, is Zack Lagrange!
🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/yM4hKCbIL9

— Ridge Meadows Flames (@flamesjunior) March 31, 2023

Jack Foster was the second star, with a hat trick, and Jakob Loewen was the third star with three assists. Team captain Jordan Kujala also scored. That point put him on top of PJHL playoff scoring, with 20 points in 14 games.

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The first three games of the best-of-seven series in the Pacific Junior Hockey League championship were closely contested one-goal games. The Flames took the first two games in Delta, and the Ice Hawks took the next two in Maple Ridge on Monday and Wednesday.

“It’s been a great series,” said Flames coach Brent Hughes.

“They’ve got a great team in Delta. They can really finish their opportunities when they get chances. We can’t give them an inch. Any mistake and it’s in our net.”

Cam Connolly made 47 saves on 50 shots in the game five win.

“He’s been great for us in the playoffs,” said Hughes. “He’s our guy right now.”

The coach thinks his team can still get to another level.

“We’re playing pretty good, but I don’t think we’ve played our best game yet, as a team,” he said.

Game six will be played back at Cam Neely Arena on Saturday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m. If the series goes to game seven, it will be played at Delta’s George Preston Arena on Sunday, April 2 at 7 p.m.

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