Two games were played in the PJHL Thursday and in a tight playoff style game between the Ridge Meadows and Richmond, the home town Sockeyes pulled off a 3-1 win at Minoru Arena.
Most of the scoring took place in the opening period Jonathan Weloy scoring at 3:28 with helpers from Inwood and Crompton giving the Flames an early the lead.
Richmond came back tying the game on a goal by Evan Thomas while playing five on five less than five minutes after the Flames goal to even the score.
Richmond scored late in the first giving the Sockeyes got what proved to the game winning goal from Daniel Oakley after he took a pass from Evan Thomas and Matthew Bisset with only 16 seconds left in the first.
There was no scoring in the second period as the goalkeepers took over in a battle to see who would outshine each other, with Kurt Kilmek (Flames) and Kurt Russell (Sockeyes) stoned the shooters keeping the score at 2-1 heading into the third.
The final period the Flames upped their game applying pressure on the Sockeyes defense but were unable to get the equalizer as the stellar goalkeeping continued.
Delta’s Tyler Andrews of the Sockeyes added an empty netter after Kilmer was pulled 10 seconds earlier in hopes of getting the equalizer and force O/T.
Sockeyes shots in the game were 28-24 for Richmond and the win gives Richmond (13-3-0-1) second best in the league to North Vancouver who sit one point up on the Sockeyes.
In Langley the league leading Wolfpack continued with a 7-3 win over the Knights of Langley at the George Preston Centre which saw the second consecutive game dropped by Langley.
The Wolf Pack were led by Brodyn Nielsen (3 assists) as well Daniel Delbianco (a pair) and the solid goalkeeping of Trevor Whithers, a former Greater Vancouver Canadians Major Midget League who kicked out 38 saves on the night.
The Wolf Pack improved to 13-1-0-2, which is good for top spot in the PJHL and currently sit with 28 points, one ahead of Richmond who have 27.