The North Vancouver Wolf Pack fell short to the Surrey Knights, 7-6 in the shootout in their third game of the regular season at Harry Jerome Recreation Centre.
Jack Jobst-Smith scored the first goal of the game, breaking the deadlock on the power-play ten minutes into the first. The Knights responded by pouring on four goals past goaltender Wilfred Hogan, including three in the second period. Jobst-Smith rounded out the middle frame by scoring a late power play goal for his second of the game to cut the lead to 4-2.
Assistant Coach David Beaupré had high praise for the power forward and his work ethic. “The goals are great, but what I really liked about his game was that he was working a lot harder than in the last two games. In the offensive zone, he was retrieving pucks and getting inside position,” said Beaupré.
The Knights scored early to start the third period and extended the lead to three, but the Wolf Pack bounced back emphatically, scoring four straight goals. Jobst-Smith tallied his third of the game, again, on the power play to get his first career PJHL hat trick and make it a two-goal game. Connor Green then scored a few moments later off a one-timer from a nice pass in the slot by Max Kinnee. The captain, Lucas Davidson, got in past the defenders and slotted it five-hole on the breakaway to tie the game up with just over six minutes remaining.
Ryan Tse put the Wolf Pack back in front for the first time since the opening goal as he pounced on a loose puck and buried it past Aidan Pang. Beaupré credited the team’s resilience to the positive and no-quit attitude constantly displayed on the Wolf Pack’s bench. “They took ownership of the mistakes they made. They wanted to get right back out there and make a positive contribution,” he said.
However, the Knights pulled their goalie late, and with only 25 seconds left, Wesley Rowley tied the game up to send it to overtime. The game would be settled in the shootout, when Dylan Lappin scored the sole shootout goal to win for the Surrey Knights and foil the Wolf Pack’s comeback aspirations.
North Van finished the game with 51 shots to Surrey’s 35 shots. There were a lot of penalties in the game as the Pack went 4/10 on the power play and the Knights scored two on their six attempts. The two teams return to action in a rematch Thursday, September 24, at the North Surrey Sport & Ice Complex as the Wolf Pack seek revenge following the crushing loss.
Author: Braeden Coombes
