There's no denying that Prince George Spruce Kings forward Jeff Earnest knows how to celebrate. Just days after committing to a scholarship with the University of Alaska Nanooks, Earnest scored a pair of goals in just 1:36 to help his team squeek past the Williams Lake Timberwolves by a 6-4 score.
Williams Lake's Dane Rupert and Prince George's Nick DeSousa traded first period goals to get things started, and the teams each scored twice in the second to set up an exciting final 20 minutes.
Ryan Stanimir scored at the 7:11 mark of the third period to give the home side the lead, but goals by RJay Berra and Kyle Manlow restored the Prince George lead heading into the final minutes. And with Wes McLeod serving an interference penalty in the game's waning moments, Brooks Robinson tallied shorthanded to polish of the win for the Spruce Kings.
Josh Pineiro played set-up man throughout the night for Prince George, assisting three times, while Earnest and Sam Muchalla contributed two-point outings.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves received another strong performance from recently acquired forward Danny Merth, who scored once and added two assists in a losing cause. Justin Bardarson added a goal and an assist for the home side.
The teams won't have to wait long to face eachother again, as they head to Prince George for the return leg of their weekend home-and-home series on Saturday night.
