The Grandview Steelers nearly played two full games on Family Day Monday, Feb. 19.
The Burnaby junior "A" hockey club's extra efforts were needed to keep their Pacific Junior League (PJHL) playoff hopes alive, tying up Game Three of its "survivor series" against White Rock with 74 seconds left.
However, the Whalers completed the series comeback with a goal nearly nine minutes into triple overtime to end Grandview's 2023-24 campaign.
The Steelers lost 5-4 (3OT) on Monday at Centennial Arena.
They led the best-of-three series after shutting out White Rock 1-0 on home ice last Wednesday, Feb. 14, but were unable to light the lamp themselves on Saturday, Feb. 17 and fell 4-0 in Game Two.
"We battled the full game. Can’t ask anything more from the guys," said Steelers captain Gabe Adam in a team statement. The 19-year-old defenceman did not play in the second and third games of the series after suffering a broken wrist in Game One.
Grandview fired 63 total pucks to the White Rock cage in Game Three, including 18 in the second period, 16 in the third and 10 in double overtime.
Goaltender Ronin Geraghty made 49 saves on 54 shots from the Whalers in what would be the final match of the year.
Forward Kori Belanger potted the game-tying goal, his first in the PJHL playoffs, with 1:14 left in the third stanza to force bonus hockey.
White Rock's goal that sent them to the quarterfinal round came at the 8:37 mark of the sixth period off the stick of Travis Smythe.
Ben Ruthven, Aidan Teixeira and Oliver Nottingham were the other Steeler goal-scorers on Monday.
Forward Tanner Milne finished with the most regular season points for Grandview with 48 points in 41 games, including a team-high 26 goals — 13th among the league's top players.
Defenceman Cameron Northard led the Steelers with 28 assists.
