The Coquitlam Jr. Adanacs’ seven-straight BCJALL championship streak had to end some day.
The time came Tuesday night when the home team found themselves on the wrong side of an 11-10 score following Delta Islander Nick Jensen’s marker in double overtime assisted by Brad Hofmann.
The goal finished the best-of-three championship series and added some drama heading into next week’s Minto Cup tournament, which both teams had already qualified for when they made the BCJALL finals.
Jensen had been quiet for most of the series, registering just one point for Delta when he assisted on a goal in the team’s 9-6 victory in Game 1.
However, his stick came alive at the right moment, and his two-goal performance on Tuesday was enough to grant him second-star honours.
The score, much like the rest of the series, was close from the beginning of the game.
Tyler Pace got Coquitlam on the board with a goal assisted by Brett Kujala, but Delta quickly responded with a goal from Jon Phillips and another from Adam Jay.
Nicholas McNabb evened the score for the Jr. Adanacs and the game was tied at 2-2 going into the first intermission.
Delta kicked off the second period with a three-goal run, one coming short-handed off the stick of Aidan Milburn, followed by a power play marker from Jensen and an even-strength goal from Phillips, who finished with a hat trick and was first star of the game.
However, in the second half of the middle period Coquitlam took control of the floor, with John Hofseth finding the back of the net followed by a pair of back-to-back goals from Pace and a single from Jean-Luc Chetner assisted by Dennon Armstrong.
Pace scored again five minutes into the third, his fourth of the evening, to give his team a 7-5 lead.
Both teams exchanged goals throughout the final frame but the A’s hung on to their two goal lead until close to the end of the third. But with five minutes left, Delta’s Aidan Milburn potted a single followed by a tying goal from Phillips, who found the back of the net after Delta pulled their goalie for the extra attacker.
In the first overtime period, Hofseth scored for Coquitlam but Delta quickly responded with a marker from Chase Fraser and things were tied 10-10 going into the second overtime. That is when Jensen finished off the A’s and sealed Delta’s first BCJALL championship in team history.
Despite the loss, the A’s will still play in the Minto Cup tournament as a host team and will rematch against Delta on Aug. 22. Coquitlam will begin their championship hunt on Aug. 20 with a game against the Calgary Mountaineers at 8 p.m., followed by a match against the Orangeville Northmen on Sunday, Aug. 21 at 8 p.m. Minto Cup playoffs will begin on Aug. 23 and are based on where the teams finish during the round-robin games.
For more information and a complete schedule go to www.bcjall.com.
