In another back-and-forth game between the Tom Shaw Conference rivals, the Richmond Sockeyes edged out the Delta Ice Hawks in overtime by a score of 7-6.
Mateo Sjoberg and Conner Merriman each had hat tricks in the loss, but Richmond was able to come away with the victory in the end to take a 2-1 series lead.
The Hawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, with Mateo Sjoberg scoring just over two minutes into the game over the shoulder of Thomas Popa, and again with about five minutes to go low across the crease. Merriman’s first of the night came with just 10 seconds left in the period when he whirled around and threw a backhand shot on net.
Richmond stormed back in the second period, scoring six straight goals, two of which were short-handed and one on the power play. But Delta didn’t give up, with Merriman posting his second of the game five-hole on the power play, and Sjoberg sniping top-corner on Noah Stenvig’s blocker side for the hat trick, making it 6-5 at the second intermission.
Merriman had the lone goal of the third period, capitalizing on a breakaway chance, again going five-hole on Stenvig, sending this one to overtime, where Richmond scored 2:13 into extra time to take the 7-6 final.
