The Grand Forks Border Bruins' date with destiny continues.
The champions of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, who had never won a league title in their 56-year history until earlier this month, are a victory away from capturing the Mowat Cup Tier 2 Provincial Junior A Hockey title.
And they'll have three chances to do it, all on home ice.
The Border Bruins went to Langley and beat the Pacific Junior Hockey League champion Ridge Meadows Flames of Maple Ridge 5-3 and 3-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five provincial final (first two games played at the George Preston Arena as the Flames' home rink was not available).
The remainder of the series will be played in Grand Forks.
Game 3 is set for Saturday, April 26, at the Jack Goddard Memorial Arena. Game 4, if needed, would be Sunday, April 27. Should the Flames rally to send the series to a deciding game, it would be played on Tuesday, April 29.
Vernon's Tyler Burke had two goals an assist in Wednesday's 5-3, come-from-behind Game 2 victory, while game star Levi Astill had four points for the Bruins, including the game-winning goal on a powerplay with 46 seconds left in regulation time. Grand Forks scored three times in the game's final 8 minutes 14 seconds to erase a 3-2 deficit.
Jasper Tait made 26 saves in goal for the Border Bruins while Flames goalie Matthew Candusso stopped 26 of 30 shots.
Burke 鈥� the team's game star 鈥� opened the scoring in Tuesday's 3-2 victory, and added one assist. The Bruins were down 2-1 late in the second period when Astill scored on the powerplay at 16:37 with Burke and Logan McCabe drawing assists.
Thomas Clarke netted the game-winner at 12:38 of the final frame, putting a backhand through the legs of Candusso, who finished with 35 saves. Tait made 19 stops for the win.
Grand Forks has won eight straight post-season games and are 18-1 overall since the KIJHL regular season ended.
