Alberni Valley Bulldogs captain Tryg Strand broke a 1-1 tie to score the winner with just under five minutes left in the game to edge the host Prince George Spruce Kings 2-1 Friday night at the Coliseum.
The Bulldogs' victory broke Prince George's three-game winning streak, and it was only Alberni Valley's 17th win of the season in the B.C. Hockey League.
Alberni Valley improves to 17-26-2-6, while the Kings suffered their 16th loss of the season and remain in second place in the Mainland Division at 28-16-3-2 and 61 points.
The Bulldogs came into Prince George fresh off a 5-2 win over the Nanaimo Clippers Wednesday night.
Friday at the Coliseum, Tryg's 21st goal of the season occurred when the Kings failed to clear their own zone and he fired a wrist shot past Prince George netminder Jesse Jenks.
Jake Kaupplia scored the Bulldogs' first goal of the game at the 9:59 mark of the second period after a series of off-setting penalties to even the game at 1-1.
Mid-way through the first period, despite being outshot 9-4, Kings forward Jeremiah Luedtke notched his 13th of the season when he slipped the puck underneath Bulldogs goalie Connor LaCouvee on a centring pass from Chad Staley. Karan Toor earned the other assist.
Alberni Valley outshot Prince George 38-25.
It was Jenks' 19th game of the season in net for the Spruce Kings, replacing Alex Murray who's handled the majority of the load this season. Jenks, the Kings' rookie netminder, didn't look rusty at all making several point-blank saves to hold Prince George in the game. He was named the first star of the game. His record is now 9-9-1.
The Kings host the West Kelowna Warriors tonight in their seventh game of a nine-game homestand. The opening face-off is at 7 p.m. at the Coliseum.
Murray (19-9-2) will be in net tonight against the Warriors.
The Bulldogs travel to Merritt tonight to battle the Centennials.
