Sudden-death overtime was the catchphrase during last week’s Coy Cup qualifier between Powell River Regals and Williams Lake Stampeders.
Extra time was needed to decide all of the games in the best-of-three series with the Regals stealing the first 4-3 on Friday, March 13, the Stampeders rebounding 5-4 in the second, Saturday, March 14, and then, with everything on the line in the third and deciding game, the Regals pulling off an exciting 2-1 win, Sunday.
Close to three hundred fans were in attendance for each of the games and on Friday they cheered loudly when Garrett Brandsma scored the first goal of the series at 2:03 of the opening period.
Prior to the tournament there was a lot of talk of family connections and in the first period fans chuckled when Regals captain Rick McLaren was dinged with a double roughing penalty and shared a couple of quality minutes with son Austin in the sin bin.
The light mood changed, however, when the Stampeders rattled off three straight goals on goalie Ryan Fairgray and took a commanding 3-1 lead into the third period.
Regals didn’t appear to have an answer for the feisty Stamps until very late in the period when John Coyle scored at 17:29 and then, with Fairgray out for an extra attacker, John Murgatroyd unleashed a blast from the point that went in off the leg of Andy Welsh.
The first of the three overtime games ended when Brandsma slapped in a Mitch Ball setup at 9:15 on the power play.
Brandsma, a catalyst throughout 60 minutes, actually drew the tripping penalty while driving the net and then capitalized on the power-play opportunity.
“Mitch made the pass and I just shot it,” he said, smiling. “I had a little look but there wasn’t much time.”
Brandsma was probably the most effective Regals player and admitted, “I drank lots of coffee and guess I just got a little excited.
“I didn’t think it was going to be as calm as it was,” he said of the game, his first meaningful Regals action. “I thought there would be more hitting but it was good hockey and I enjoyed it.”
His coach thought it was good too. “For not being on the ice for five weeks I thought we played well, made mistakes, but it was nice to come back and win,” said Tod English.
Williams Lake came out in game two with much more of a physical presence and understandably both teams were a lot sharper than the night before.
Regals opened the scoring with Dan Swanson getting the first two goals of the game but Williams Lake had an answer for those and again led 4-3 late in the final period.
Once again, at 15:42, Murgatroyd let a shot go from the point to tie 4-4 and once again overtime was needed.
This time Stampeders’ Nathan Zurak took a pass at the top of the Regals’ crease and calmly slid the 5-4 winner past Fairgray.
Game two took a heavy toll on the Stampeders with the loss to injury of Kurtis Bond and suspension of Matt Stang for a hit to the head.
Nevertheless, the Stampeders took the ice at 1:30 pm on Sunday to battle the young Regals for a winner-take-all third game.
Credit goes to both teams for giving hockey fans an exciting game filled with hits, scoring chances and solid goaltending at both ends of the rink.
At the end of 60 minutes, after Ball scored for the Regals at 7:53 of the first period and Zurak scored at 3:19 of the second, this game, like the first two, was headed for overtime.
In the series’ final period the Regals pressed hard for the winner and luck changed around for game-winner Chad Euverman. After a weekend of frustration with every missed opportunity, Euverman had the final say.
“I probably had 10 chances a game,” said a smiling game’s hero, adding, “our whole line did. We kept saying, ‘just keep going and it’s going to come.’ Eventually it did. Andy Welsh and I were in the corner, we played a give and go. I gave it to him, he gave it back to me and I came across the crease and put it in along the ice backhand.”
He made no mistake, saying, “It’s my go-to patience, if you ask anyone, and I score a lot on the backhand.”
Of the series he said, “Three overtime games and you’ve got to give a lot of credit to Williams Lake. They had a short roster with two guys out today and they worked hard.”
A quick handshake had the Stampeders on their way to the ferry and the Regals celebrated their win. They now have a place in the Coy Cup with host Fort Nelson Yetis, Terrace River Kings and Fort St. John Flyers from March 24 to 28.
