The Quesnel Millionaires are once again holders of the CNC Challenge Cup after a 3-2 win over the Prince George Spruce Kings thanks to Rigby Burgart.
Burgart scored the winner 11 minutes into the third period after he blocked a point shot and then outraced the Spruce Kings defenceman to the loose puck and skated in alone on netminder Kirk Thompson.
"I saw a clear lane to the net and the engines kicked in," Burgart said.
Burgart put a little move on Thompson, enough to create space under his pads and slipped the puck under Thompson’s pads much to the appreciation of the fans and his teammates.
"He's been using that move in practice forever," a smiling Mills head coach Doug Hedley said.
"That was my biggest goal," Burgart said.
"And I don't score too many," he added with a grin.
With the win, the Millionaires lay claim to the CNC Challenge Cup for the second year running, winning their eight game series against the Spruce Kings 5-3.
Besides winning northern B.C. bragging rights, the win also puts the Millionaires five points ahead of the Spruce Kings in the race for the final playoff spot with just six games to go in the regular season.
"This is a big win for us," Mills captain Skyler Smutek said.
"It gives us the separation we needed.
"Probably the biggest two points of the year."
The valuable two points in the standings looked like a mirage three minutes into the first period after the Spruce Kings had taken an early 2-0 lead on goals from Ben Woodley and Trent Murdoch.
"Down 2-0 it was a little bit scary," Hedley admitted.
"But you have to give these guys [Mills players] credit, it's happened all year, we've been down goals and they never quit."
Mills captain, Skyler Smutek agreed.
"We have a young team, but they responded when we got down 2-0," he said.
The Mills did regroup in the dressing room between the first and second period and hit the ice with a better effort in the second frame, applying more pressure on the forecheck and better puck control in their own zone.
The patience and controlled puck movement paid off with a goal by Shawn Mueller at the 4:01 mark of the second period, with assists to Malcolm Gould and David Thompson.
Mueller was the beneficiary of some nice passing that saw Thompson feather a nice pass to Gould skating up the right side, who then made another nice pass to Mueller breaking in from the left side.
Mueller made a nice deke in front of Kirk Thompson, dragged the puck from his forehand to his backhand going across the crease and slipped the puck to the back of the net.
In the third period, the Mills built on their second-period effort.
"It's amazing what you can do when all the guys are moving in the same direction," Smutek said.
The Mills tied the score 2-2 on the power play with a goal by Taylor Orser.
It wasn't a pretty goal as the point shot by David Thompson ricocheted several times in front of the net before coming to a stop at the side of the net where Orser was standing.
"Not one of my prettier ones," Orser said.
"But I'll take them any way they come.
"It felt good to get one at that time of the game to tie the score and help out the boys."
Adam Harris collected the win for the Mills, stopping 29 of 31 shots.
The Mills finish their last homestand of the regular season this weekend with games against the Westside Warriors on Friday and Sunday with a Saturday game against the Penticton Vees.