Victoria Grizzlies goalie Taylor Pears made 58 saves, 29 in the third period alone, to earn 1st Star as the Grizz earned a 6-5 road win over the Coquitlam Express.
Trailing 5-3 after two, Coquitlam threw all they had at Pears in the third and got within one on Brady Shaw's 26th goal of the season. Alex Holland potted his second of the night, which proved to be the game-winner, at 18:40 of the third. Mitch Nardi scored for the Express with eight seconds left.
Mitchell Smith also had two goals for Victoria while John Siemer had two goals and a helper for Coquitlam.
The Chilliwack Chiefs and Westside Warriors each scored three goals in the third but it was the Chiefs taking a big 6-3 home win. Chilliwack led 3-1 after two but in the third, David Pope and Travis Blanleil scored for Westside before Malcolm Gould's hat trick goal for the Chiefs. The win allows Chilliwack to remain in a tie for fourth with Vernon.
In Vernon, the Vipers scored a 4-1 win over the Merritt Centennials getting goals from four different players. Evan Stack scored for the Cents to tie the game at 7:04 of the second but John Knisley and Michael Zalewski gave the Snakes the lead again and Darren Nowick scored in the third in his first game since Jan. 13.
The Surrey Eagles scored four times on the power play to down the visiting Cowichan Valley Capitals 8-5. The Caps scored first on Darrin Robak's power-play tally late in the opening frame but Surrey took the lead in the second with two man-advantage goals of their own. The Eagles scored the last four goals of the game including Sean McGovern's second of the night.
In Trail, the Prince George Spruce Kings got two goals from Jujhar Khaira in the third period to salt away a 4-1 win over the Smoke Eaters. PG's Zack Rassell and Trail's Tanner Clarkson exchanged first-period goals but Gerry Fitzgerald scored the winner for PG early in the second.
A four-goal second period for the Nanaimo Clippers broke a 2-2 tie and helped them to a 7-2 win over the visiting Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Dan Correale's shorthanded marker midway through the second proved to be the winner. Kyle Kramer had a goal and two assists to take 1st Star.
In Penticton, the Vees scored four goals in the first, including the first of two from both Cody DePourcq and Mario Lucia, and defeated the Salmon Arm SilverBacks 10-1. The Vees led 9-0 before Jeff Kennedy broke Chad Katunar's shutout bid.
