The Aldergrove Kodiaks started out strong and racked up a 4-2 lead in the first two periods over the Grandview Steelers on Sunday night at Burnaby Winter Club, but a flurry of goals in the third took the Steelers to a 5-4 win.
Kodiaks' Daniel Higgs scored on a power play in the first to open the scoring at 17:38, assisted by Stefan Gonzales and Cole Gastel.
Kodiaks knocked two more in early in the second before the Steelers answered with two of their own. Scoring for Aldergrove were Jackson Waniek from Gonzales and Ryan Procyshyn at 4:06 and MacLean Hewitt from Darcy Rai at 9:08. The Steelers notched a pair within seconds of each other at 11:01 and 11:22, before Gastel scored the last for the Kodiaks that night at 16:44, assisted by Rai and Spencer McHaffie.
The Kodiaks dominated the penalty box in the third, however, and it cost them dearly. The Steelers scored twice on power plays to even the score and notched the winning goal at 14:15.
The Kodiaks outshot the Steelers 29-24.
Kodiaks host Richmond Sockeyes, Sept. 19 at Aldergrove Arena, travel to Abbotsford Pilots on Friday. Sept. 21 and host Port Moody Panthers on Sept. 26, 7:15 p.m. game start.
The Aldergrove Kodiaks' fifth season started out slowly and a bit sloppily in their opening game versus Ridge Meadows Flames, Sept. 12, but the Junior B hockey boys finally found their groove halfway through the second period.
Kodiak Stephen Ryan got a breakaway at 15:59 in the second period, during a penalty kill, and slapped a beauty of a shot past Flames' keeper Wesley McLeod to open the scoring.
However, Kodiak Darcy Rai's blunder of a slash and game misconduct a few minutes later cost the team another five minute penalty, which the Flames capitalized on when Matthew Bissett scored on Kodiak keeper Brendan Sharp in the dying minute of the period.
The Kodiaks killed the rest of the penalty early in the third and at 4:06 Kodiak Ryan Procyshyn notched the team's second goal, assisted by captain Daniel Higgs and Stephen Ryan.
Flames' Paul Piluso committed the error of a check to the head, which gave the Kodiaks a five minute advantage at 13:56 and Kodiak Higgs took the game's third goal 20 seconds later on the power play. Assists were from Procyshyn and Stefan Gonzales, both of whom were also Higgs' teammates in their minor hockey days at Cloverdale.
The stands were full of supporters, who cheered as the Kodiaks outshot the Flames, 53-30.
Game stars were all Kodiaks: Ryan for first, Higgs for second and Sharp for third.
Kodiaks travel to Grandview Steelers on Sunday and host Richmond Sockeyes, Sept. 19 at Aldergrove Arena.