Bombers Come Off Ropes to Prolong Series

The Port Alberni Bombers, down three games to one in their best-of-seven North Division final series against Campbell River Storm, defeated their hosts 5-3 in Campbell River on Tuesday night to force a sixth game back at the Alberni Valley Multiplex on Thursday night.
In a game that was tied on three separate occasions, Sean Richards, with his second tally of the night, scored the winner early in the third frame, just thirty-one seconds after the Storm had tied the contest at 3-3. The goal was the third of three goals in two minutes and fourteen seconds, the Bombers scoring twice and the Storm once over that span.
The Storm took the early lead when Ethan Hill scored at 12:52 of the opening period, but Jack Barrett scored on the power play, drawing the Bombers even at 1-1, which is where things stood after 20 minutes.
The second period was more of the same, Richards scoring his first of the night, again on the power play, at the six minute mark, only to have Marshall Curri square things for the Storm just over a minute later, also with the man advantage, sending the teams to the dressing rooms tied at 2-2 after two periods of play.
The third period started fast and furious – McCall Nault scoring his first of the playoffs at 4:14, while the Bombers had the man advantage, and the Storm clawing back, Dreyton Hayward scoring on a long floater from the blue line that found its way into the Bomber goal just over a minute and a half later, setting the stage for Richard’s winner at 6:28 of the third frame. Grayson Salmon completed the scoring – with the Storm goaltender pulled in favour of an extra attacker, and a face-off just outside the Bomber blue line, Salmon slapped the puck forward propelling the disc into the unguarded goal 110 feet away just as the buzzer went to end the game.
The Bombers outshot the Storm 47-24 on the night, winning the special teams battle in the process. Port Alberni was 3-for-5 on the power play, while Campbell River were 1-for-2 with the man advantage.
The teams return to the Alberni Valley Multiplex for Game 6 on Thursday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm. Tickets will be available online tomorrow (Wednesday) at portalbernibombers.ca or at the box-office Thursday starting at 1:00 pm.