The Valley West Giants were on a mission and completed it with an exclamation point.
During BC Winter Classic Weekend in Fort Saint James, the Giants leapfrogged over the Cariboo Cougars to move into first place in the BC Elite Hockey League standings with 5-1 and 9-6 victories Saturday and Sunday.
In Saturday’s outdoor game from the Ernie Sam Memorial Arena, Valley West ran out to 2-0 and 4-0 first and second period leads to earn the four-goal victory.
Nick Dhaliwal, Jared Miskiw. Avery Lowe and Jacob Baumann all found the back of the net against Seattle Thunderbirds prospect goaltender Jaxon Dikur.
Both teams traded goals in the third as Colin Jamieson scored on the power-play for VWG while Blake Lambe (Cariboo) shatter Shay McVicker’s shutout bid with 9:28 remaining.
On Sunday, Cariboo erased a 5-2 first period deficit only fumble it away in the last five minutes of the third period as Ryder Marks game-winner sailed over top the net and in-behind Dikur.
Dhaliwal, Baumann along with a pair by Coltan White and a single by Ethan Caruso set the pace for the Giants in the opening 20 minutes.
Jaxon Larmand and Nicholas Gordon replied for the Cougars.
In the second, Cariboo snatched all the momentum thanks to a pair of huge penalty kill – both on Dikur – a delay of game penalty followed by a double-minor for spearing.
Gordon collected his second of the game via Larmand while Jack Tidsbury deflected a puck past Giants netminder Roman Singh following the initial cross-ice pass from Blake Collison.
Ryan Richter evened the score at 5-5 as his shot from the corner somehow alluded the pad of Singh ten seconds into the third period.
Lambe (Cariboo) and Adam Lenarduzzi (Giants) traded goals to make it a 6-6 game at the Fort Forum.
After Marks made it 7-6, Cougars head coach Tyler Brough pulled Dikur from the goal twice but Miskiw and White lifted the puck into the yawning cage each time.
Dikur came on in relief of starter Andrik Lygas who let in the first four Giant markers.
With the win, Valley West moves to 19-7-0-1, one point up on Cariboo (18-6-1-1) for first place although the Cougars have a game in hand.
Cariboo is on the road next weekend when they travel to the North Shore to play the Vancouver North West Hawks (10-10-2-3) Saturday (6:00pm) and Sunday (11:00am).
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