Tuesday night might have seemed like any other evening to the residents of Quesnel, but to those who were lucky enough to be in the West Fraser Centre, a palpable buzz could be felt as all the players readied themselves for night one of the Lumber Cup, the FHL’s long-awaited playoffs.
A four-night affair that will see four teams battle for supremacy and much-coveted bragging rights, began with a squeaker of an affair between Serenity Builders and BCS.
Onlookers saw the two teams play a tentative first period, which ended in a scoreless draw despite several glorious scoring chances for the Builders.
The final stanza featured fast-paced action as Serenity built a two-goal lead thanks to a pair from their captain, Justin “Time” Rasmussen.
An odd marker by the BCS leader, Kevin “Nightrider” Hesslegrave, cut the deficit in half, but some heads-up play by the Serenity core ensured a one-goal victory for the Commissioners Cup winners.
The late game looked like it was going to be a rout until Bear bounced back to make it close in the 5-3 Fraser River win.
The shiny and new-look GM squad never trailed as they built a three-zip lead at Zamboni time thanks to goals by Levon “Young Gun” Johnson, Jason “Junior” Johnson and Dave “Kim” Carnes, who all made beautiful moves.
A goal by Lee “Nitro” Naeth against the Fraser River flow brought hope to the Bear Clan who did all they could to only fall short by two.
The TSN turning point was definitely the shorthanded clincher by “Young Gun” who was fed a perfect short-handed pass from the opposing goaltender. A close runner up was a late clock start by the league’s founder, who may have lost a step in the on/off toggle.
READ MORE: Quesnel Forestry Hockey League highlights: Week 24
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