Chelsea Hockey Clips Riverview Gabriel Richard in Quarterfinal Rematch

A rematch of last years Division 2 state quarterfinal game between Chelsea and Riverview Gabriel Richard felt like another playoff game from start to finish and the two teams went toe-to-toe through overtime as the Bulldogs beat Gabriel Richard 2-1.

Acion was up and down the ice all night with stellar defense and great scoring opportunities for both teams as Chelsea got its revenge for last years loss.

The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Devin McIntyre took a pass from Corbin Steele for a breakaway goal just 1:41 into the game.

Richard controlled a lot of action through the first two periods, but the Chelsea defense kept Riverview from getting a lot of shots on net. This included a two-minute penalty kill in which the puck never left the Chelsea zone early in the second period.

Chelsea appeared to take a 2-0 lead late in the second period when Tyler Valik slammed home a rebound, but the referee's ruled that the Riverview goaltender had knocked the net off the post in his attempt to make the first save.

The score remained 1-0 until late in the third when Richard would tie it up with 1:33 left in the period to tie the game at 1-1 and send it to overtime. 

Chelsea went on the powerplay with 14 seconds left in the third and the start of overtime but could not convert.

Midway through the overtime period, Tyler Valik fed a pass across the front of the Gabriel Richard net that Keegan Montgomery slammed home for the game winner, sending the Bulldogs into the boards to celebrate with the Bulldogs student section and the 2-1 win. Brendan Westcott also assisted on the game-winning goal sending the pass outfront to Valik.

The Bulldogs improved to 4-1 overall on the season and have a big week ahead with four crossovers with SEC Red teams on the schedule starting Saturday night at Bedford. 

Photos by Mike Williamson