It was a one-shot game with 14 minutes left and the Prince George Spruce Kings knew how close they came to evening the count.
They heard it with their own ears Saturday at South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton.
It was the sound of frozen vulcanized rubber ricocheting off iron and Spruce Kings forward Kazumo Sasaki could only shake his head in disappointment.
He had the tying goal on his stick, set up by a wraparound pass from defenceman Kai Greaves as he skated out from behind the Penticton Vees net. But Sasaki’s shot hit the crossbar.
Less than a minute later the Spruce Kings heard another chilling sound - the referee’s whistle fingering Scott Cousins for a tripping penalty.
Fifty seconds into the penalty the Vees took advantage of having the extra skater. Simon Meier got his own rebound and dumped it into the net behind Kings goalie Charlie Zolin. That goal, 7:28 into the third period, made it a 2-0 game and it was a hole too deep for the Spruce Kings.
They gave up one more and lost 3-0, the identical score from Friday night. Prince George now trails the Vees 2-0 in their BCHL Interior Conference quarterfinal series.
Andrew Ness made 13 saves for his first career BCHL shutout.
He got help from the goalpost as well, in the second period, when Kings forward Luca Primerano nailed one with the Vees nursing a 1-0 lead.
Connor MacPherson bookended Meier’s goal, combining with twin brother Ryan for a pair of scoring plays. The first opened the scoring 3:16 into the second period and Connor connected on a pass through the crease from his brother to cap the scoring 11:42 into the third.
The Vees fired 45 shots at Zolin, who took the loss in goal for Prince George.
The series now switches to Prince George for Games 3 and 4 Tuesday and Wednesday at Kopar Memorial Arena.
