In their last meeting in Sechelt, the Powell River Regals ripped off four quick goals and skated to a 7-3 win over the upstart Hitmen. The rematch on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 26) at the Powell River Recreation Complex was strikingly similar, but this time it was the Hitmen who dominated early in an 8-7 win.
Hitmen earned their name as they took the body early and often to create several good scoring chances on Regal netminder Laszlo Tamasik. Jared Rutley opened the scoring when he slammed in a rebound coughed up by Tamasik.
Kyle Meyerink slid one in from the top of the crease, and Marc Chabot added a couple more before the Regals could get on the scoresheet for a 2-1 lead after the first.
Hitmen struck early in the second, a scramble effort by Brady Bjornson at 0:37, but the Regals finally got it going and tied the game 5-5 by the end of the second period with four unanswered goals.
Regals took the lead early in the third, but the Hitmen didn't come up the Coast to go down without a fight, and on the strength of two more goals from Chabot jumped out in front 7-6.
Meyerink was the hero for the Hitmen when he scored the eventual winner at 14:20 and put his team ahead for good, 8-6.
Regals closed to within one, but Hitmen netminder Taylor Dallevoet made several quality saves to preserve the win for his jubilant teammates.
Winning goal scorer Mey-erink wore a big grin later and was on the receiving end of some good natured needling from his team.
"Actually the guys in the room were making fun of me," he laughed. "They were telling me they've never seen a guy skate so slow. Coming in it was a one on two and the D-man, he was just in the right place so I used him as a screen and thought I'd throw one on net and it went in just inside the post."
The win was a big one for the Hitmen, and after the game player/coach Keith McKenzie talked a bit about the impact of the win on his effort to bring hockey back to Sechelt.
"Eight to 10 years ago, we were in the Royal City League with the Powell River Regals and competed all through the Lower Mainland. For years we got trounced, especially by Powell River," McKenzie said. "We have a lot of respect for the Regals, and they've done a lot for a small community. We're hoping we can get it going again, get the AA hockey team going again and at least be competitive."
Both teams will be looking to win the rubber match tomorrow night (Saturday) when they meet again in Sechelt at the Sunshine Coast Arena at 7 p.m.
