For the second straight year, the Richmond Sockeyes have been bounced in the opening round of the Pacific Junior Hockey League playoffs by the Grandview Steelers.
The Sockeyes dropped three straight to conclude their season, including a 2-1 home ice game six loss last Thursday.
Following Grandview’s wild 8-5 game four victory to pull even at 2-2, the teams reverted back to tight checking hockey which had been the theme of the evenly matched season series. The Steelers pulled out a 3-2 game five victory on home ice, to set-up the series clincher one night earlier.
Richmond head coach Judd Lambert said from the game one, his young team had little room for error against their veteran opponent.
Steelers’ goalie Cole MacInnes was terrific when the series was on the line, making 27 and 32 saves respectively in games five and six.
Graduating blueliner and team captain Jordan Andrews, known more for his defensive work, was his team’s top scorer in the playoffs with seven points. Other than another 20-year-old, Matthew Cox, no Sockeye recorded more than four points in the series.
The club stuck to their rebuilding plan from the start of the season and will have all but three players eligible to return for the 2016-17 campaign.
Icing…
The Sockeyes family is mourning the loss of alumni Tom Frame who passed away suddenly on Feb. 25 at the age of 58.
Frame was a standout goaltender for club between 1973-76, earning league all-star honours. The Richmond native also thrived at lacrosse. He was living in Vernon but made frequent trips back to his hometown to support the team, including as recently as three weeks ago.
