Merritt Centennials defenceman Jake Clifford scored the winner in double overtime to edge the Prince George Spruce Kings 3-2 Friday night at the Coliseum.
Playing three-on-three hockey, Clifford slotted the puck past Kings netminder Alex Brooks-Potts at the 2:08-minute mark of the extra frame.
It was the Kings second-straight loss in the B.C. Hockey League, but they earned a point improving to 17-12-0-3 with 37 points, tied for second place with Langley in the Mainland Division.
The Cents improve to 17-12-0-2 with 35 points, fourth in the Interior Division to extend their winning streak to two.
The Kings had seven affiliate players from the junior B and major midget ranks in their lineup who played like they belonged in the Junior A level in the evenly-matched game.
Trailing 2-1 with 15.3 seconds left in the game, Jeremiah Luedtke took a pass from Tyler Kunz just inside the point and wristed a shot through traffic to draw the Kings even at 2-2 and send the game into overtime.
The first five-minute four-on-four overtime solved nothing and the two teams went into three-on-three.
Brooks-Potts had been pulled with 90 seconds left in the game in favour of the extra attacker.
Centennials forward Gavin Gould broke a 1-1 tie early in the third period when he slipped past two Prince George defenders and slotted the puck past Brooks-Potts.
The first period ended in a 1-1 tie.
Colin Grannary notched his seventh goal of the season to tie the game up at 1-1 at the 14:41-mark of the first period.
On Prince George's second power play opportunity, Luedtke banged the puck past Cents netminder Anthony Pupplo after a shot from Kunz went off the boards behind the net straight to Luedtke's stick nine minutes into the first period.
Prince George outshot Merritt 42-40.
The Spruce Kings host the Cowichan Valley Capitals tonight, 7 p.m. at the Coliseum. It's their last home game before the Christmas break. Fans are asked to bring toques, mitts, socks and gloves that will be donated to the St Vincent de Paul Society when the Kings score their first goal. A collection bin will also be set up for non-perishable food items.
