Shooters Pub Devils goalie Steven Brizan would be the first to admit he didn't play well in the first two games of the Prince George Senior Lacrosse Association final.
What a difference a game makes.
The guy who's held the Devils' fort for the better part of a decade made a stand Wednesday in Game 3 of the best-of-five series and not even the College Heights Pub Assault's hottest shooters could knock him off his perch.
On a warm muggy night at the Coliseum, the 30-year-old veteran was hot from the opening face-off, showing lightning reflexes and smart positioning and saved his best for last in a double-overtime 9-8 victory that extended the Devils' season at least another day.
Andre Baldo, the Kitimat commuter, pounced on the rebound of a Jordan Zacharuk shot and buried it behind Russill Mills for the game-winner, 2:52 into the second 10-minute OT session.
Brizan withered with the rest of his teammates under a full-scale attack in the third period that put the Assault ahead with only a few minutes remaining. But the 30-year-old goalie found his rhythm again in overtime and his netminding was the difference.
"We dedicated this game to Hartley Miller," said Brizan, referring to the radio sportscaster's prediction of an Assault sweep. "He had us written off, but we managed to pull it through.
"The first couple games it felt like we were playing on borrowed time but we managed to muster up some will to play, grabbed loose balls, and I saw everything tonight. Our game was top-notch tonight and Danton had a magic stick."
Sniper Danton Nicholson bailed the Devils out with two late goals, including the one that tied the game with 1:29 left. Nicholson's late heroics were needed after Dave Jenkins appeared to have the Assault ahead for good, scoring his second of the game on a fast break to make 8-7 with three minutes left.
Assault veteran Shawn Ingham, an RCMP officer, appeared to have put the collar on the Devils late in the third period, scoring a natural hat trick in less than a four-minute span, but it wasn't enough.
It took the Assault more than half the game just to score once on Brizan and by that time they trailed 6-0. The fact they made a game of it was proof enough to Ingham his team is worthy of hoisting the Dale Rolufs Memorial Trophy as league champions for a third straight season.
"It showed the character of our team that we almost pulled it off," said Ingham. "It was right down to the wire. We had a lot of quality shots and it was just momentum back and forth. This was a tough game."
The Assault leads the best-of-five final series 2-1. Game 4 of the series is set for tonight (8 p.m. start). If needed, a fifth and deciding game would be played Monday night.
Back from a tour of drilling duty in Africa, Phil Michel's return to the floor for the final came at great time for Shooters. His big shot planted a dagger in the Assault's post-game party plans and by the end of the first period he already had a hat trick. His third of the game came with 1:13 left in first period to make it 4-0 and Jamie Klarenbeek followed that up 21 seconds later by taking a wide berth on Mills until the net opened up for a 5-0 Shooters' lead.
The Devils got a huge lift from their floor general, Scott Anderson, who missed the opening two games of the series with a lower-body injury. At 45, Anderson isn't the dominant force he was when he was property of the Calgary Roughnecks a few years ago, but his smarts with the ball and tough defence had a calming effect on his teammates. Anderson came to close to scoring on a second-period breakaway.
Michel made it 6-0 midway through the second period and just when it looked like the rout was on, the Assault found some life. John Makowsky started it with a wicked blast from the point on the power play at 12:41 and less two minutes later Dom Sia travelled wide across the crease to beat Brizan. Craig Dunfield cut the lead to 6-3 late in the second with a bouncer through Brizan's legs.
"We knew they were going to come back and battle in the third period, so we had to fight and had to come back to force overtime," said Baldo. "We all believed in ourselves to keep pushing.
"In Game 1 we were physically and emotionally drained from the last series [against the BX Pub Bandits] and we weren't ready for these guys at all and played a terrible game [and lost 20-7]. Game 2 we played a lot better [a 17-13 loss] but it wasn't quite enough and today we came out with a much better effort to get the win."
