Thanks to Mitch Plevy’s overtime heroics, the Abbotsford Pilots have extended their first-round series against the Aldergrove Kodiaks.
Plevy scored 15 seconds into the second overtime to lift the Pilots to a 4-3 victory over the Kodiaks in Pacific Junior Hockey League action Wednesday.
The win sends the series back to MSA Arena for Game 6 Friday night at 7:30 p.m., with Aldergrove holding a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Plevy’s goal came on a rebound from a Brady Lawlor shot.
“They played well, the whole line,” said Pilots’ head coach Jim Cowden.“They had a big impact on the game.”
Jacob Crawford stopped 32 shots in the win.
Aldergrove jumped out to a quick lead, with Brandon Dolby scoring just 25 seconds in, and then Eric Callegari scored on a breakaway at 13:18.
“We dominated the first, outshot them 17-9,” said Cowden. “But Lawlor gave it away on the first goal and our D parted the sea on the breakaway goal.”
The visitors got on the board at 11:29 of the second when Lawlor took a drop pass from Grieve and his quick snapshot beat Ben Giesbrecht.
Cameron Davitt restored the two-goal lead at 18:23 of the second, scoring a shorthanded tally from the right side of the net.
Heading into the third period down two goals, the Pilots struck quickly.
Just 49 seconds into the third Alex Methorst scored on a feed from Brett Clayton.
Abbotsford completed the comeback at the 7:59 mark during a scramble in the offensive zone when the puck eventually came right to Lawlor, who buried his sixth of the playoffs.
Quinncy Leroux had the best scoring chance of the first 10-minute overtime session, ringing a puck off the crossbar from the slot with about two minutes to go.
Grieve had the Pilots’ best look, getting stoned in front with less than a minute to go, but Giesbrecht pushed it aside to force a second overtime.