The Burnaby Winter Club won't get a chance at a Western Canadian bantam AAA three-peat.
The Pacific Coast bantam A1 runner-up was nipped in the B.C. provincial final 4-3 by league champion and rival North Shore Winter Club in Cowichan Valley on March 20.
Leading 3-2 midway through the final period, Burnaby was whistled for penalties on three separate occasions. The North Vancouver club made good on two of its power play opportunities to defeat the two-time defending Western Canada champs 43 in the A1 final.
"One of us had to win and one of us had to lose. It was just sad the teams couldn't decide it," said winter club head coach John Batchelor.
Jake Kryskie scored his team-leading 10th and 11th goals of the provincials in the opening period to give Burnaby a 2-0 lead.
North Shore drew even in the middle frame, but Mateo Coltellaro scored the go-ahead marker later in the period to give Burnaby the advantage.
Then came the three game-changing calls in the final 12 minutes of play.
Still Batchelor applauded the North Shore club for perservering through sickness and injury to make it a thrilling final.
"They've done that all year. They have a heck of a lot of character," he added.
Both clubs had no peer in Pacific Coast league play.
Burnaby Winter Club finished with an overall record of 18-1-1 this sea-son. The only two flaws on their regular-season record were a 2-0 loss and a 1-1 tie to the unbeaten North Shore club.
Kryskie and Jaeger White were two of the top scorers at the provincial tournament, finishing with 11 goals and 12 assists and eight goals and 15 helpers, respectively.
Both Kryskie and White are projected to be first-round picks along with teammates Dante Fabbro and Matt Barberis in the upcoming Western Hockey League bantam entry draft.
Earlier in the provincials, Barberis scored the game-winning goal for Burnaby at 2: 29 of the final period in a 4-3 win over NSWC.
Burnaby finished the provincial tournament with a record of 5-1.
