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Kodiaks one game from clinching series

Aldergrove Kodiaks hold a 3-1 stranglehold in their best-of-seven Harold Brittain conference playoff series
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Calen Whitworth (right) and the Aldergrove Kodiaks pushed the Abbotsford Pilots to the brink of elimination on Saturday.

The Aldergrove Kodiaks hold a 3-1 stranglehold in their best-of-seven Harold Brittain conference playoff series after earning a split on the road in Abbotsford.

The Kodiaks lost 3-2 in double overtime to the Abbotsford Pilots on Friday night at MSA Arena, but bounced back to win by that same score — this time in regulation — on Saturday night in junior B hockey action.

The Kodiaks will go for the series victory on Wednesday (March 12, after Star press deadline, but see The Star's website for updates) at Aldergrove Arena to advance to the Pacific Junior Hockey League championship series. Game 6, if necessary, would be Friday at MSA Arena (7:30 p.m.).

Royce Rossignol and Francis Bandford had the Pilots up 2-1 just past the midway point of game four. But Cameron Davitt and Jeremy Lagler scored goals 1:36 before the intermission to put the Kodiaks ahead for good.

Elvis Jansons had also scored earlier in the period for Aldergrove and two of the three Kodiaks goals came with the man advantage.

Jordan Liem stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced.

In game three it was the Pilots scoring twice with the man advantage for the overtime victory as Austin Edwards scored at 6:15 of the second extra period.

Twice Aldergrove held one-goal leads on goals from Jonathan Philley and Brandon Dolby, but Bradley Parker and Braeden Monk responded for the Pilots.

Monk, who played his minor hockey in Langley, leads all post-season scorers with six goals and 13 points in nine games.

Liem stopped 38 shots as the Kodiaks lost for the first time in the post-season.

He leads all goalies with a 1.81 goals against average and a .933 save percentage.

Over in the Tom Shaw conference, the Richmond Sockeyes lead their series 3-0 after three consecutive 4-3 wins over the North Vancouver Wolf Pack, with two of those wins in overtime.

The winners of the two series will proceed to the final round for the Pacific Junior Hockey League championship.