A win over Nanaimo, and a loss to Surrey, for the Langley Rivermen, as the team wrapped up its final home weekend with back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24 at George Preston arena before their final road trip of the season and the start of playoffs.
Rivermen had clinched their spot in the playoffs with an overtime win on Saturday, March 16 at George Preston before more than 1,000 in the stands.
They came from behind to down the Victoria Grizzlies 6-5, with goals from Oskar Komarov, Luke Ashton, and Dalton MacGillivary – who scored twice in less than five minutes – along with Logan Morrell, who forced the game into sudden death in the closing second of the final period. Riv won in overtime when Ryan Schelling got the game winner 4:57.
Saturday against the Nanaimo Clippers, Langley got the scoring going five minutes into the game thanks to Logan Morrell, who scored his 13th of the season off a redirection in front of a Carsten Kayter point shot.
Rivermen doubled their lead with three minutes to go in the first thanks to Vitaly Levyy, who cashed in a great odd man rush by sniping home his 21st of the season, and Langley would go into the second period up 2-0.
Nanaimo would get a goal back late in the second period with three minutes to go, off a quick rush on the power play making it 2-1.
Ryan Schelling got a goal 3:16 into the third period making it 3-1. Oskar Komarov made it 4-1 with a snipe from the slot at the 11-minute mark of the third period, scoring his 17th of the season.
The Clippers would get one back 2:59 to go but the Rivermen would close out the game winning 4-2.
Rivermen head coach and general manager Tyler Kuntz “liked our compete on Saturday against Nanaimo. It is never an easy game but we battled hard to get in front, and played excellent defensively to get the win.
Sunday, the Surrey Eagles, scored early 3:59 thanks to rookie Miles Burgin.
Rivermen tied it up with five minutes to go in the first period. Luke Ashton fed Dalton MacGillivray who scored for his fifth consecutive game with a slot shot inside the Eagles zone.
Oskar Komarov would give Langley their first lead of the game 1:34 into the second period.
Surrey would tie it up 1:50 later on the power play as the Eagles cashed in on an extended 5 on 3 off a one timer from the blueline.
Rivermen regained the lead with 8:31 to go in the middle frame, as Aaron Reierson scored on a breakaway for his 11th of the season.
Surrey would get three unanswered goals in the third and take the final meeting of the season between the two teams 5-3.
“We knew Surrey would be well rested coming into Sunday and give us a good fight and they did, but I liked how we responded in the first and second period when trailing,” said Kuntz.
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The Rivermen conclude the regular season on the road this coming weekend, Friday, March 29, when they head to Nanaimo to take on the Clippers, then Saturday against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
Rivermen are seventh in the standings for the nine-team BCHL Coastal division, with 19 wins in 52 games, 14th of 17 in the BCHL.
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