The Victoria Grizzlies came out flying, but were grounded just as fast.
A blistering start and a surge of early energy weren’t enough Tuesday night as the Grizzlies dropped a 4-2 decision to the Chilliwack Chiefs at the Q Centre, falling behind 2-1 in the BCHL Coastal Conference Final.
Victoria was in tough from the get-go, with starting netminder Oliver Auyeung-Ashton sidelined after suffering an injury in Game 2 in Chilliwack. That set the stage for Kyle Kelsey, who had provided dependable minutes for the Grizzlies all season long.
But an early start from Victoria was in the cards.
Will Schumacher brought the crowd of 1,141 to their feet in Langford, as he sliced through the Chiefs’ defence and buried a highlight-reel solo effort to open the scoring.
WHAT A RUSH
— BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague) May 7, 2025
Will Schumacher turns on the after burners to split right in a score the opening goal of game 3!
🎙️ @TomWilkepxp | @BCHLGrizzVideo pic.twitter.com/xBDufSIGYx
A bruising, penalty-filled first period followed, capped off by Grizzlies captain Jacksenn Hungle dropping the gloves with Chiefs rookie Caleb Malholtra – the son of Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malholtra – in a spirited tilt.
But that early fire fizzled fast.
Chilliwack took control in the second, outshooting Victoria 19-8 and scoring three unanswered goals. Connor Dick tied it early, then Carter Anderson gave the Chiefs the lead just 95 seconds later. The back-breaker came midway through the period when Dustin Renas finished off a clean two-on-one to make it 3-1.
The Chiefs kept rolling in the third, extending their lead to 4-1 with Caleb Elfering’s 10th of the playoffs – a quick-release from the low slot that beat Kelsey short side.
Victoria made a late push, with Hungle converting on a power play with the goalie pulled, but that was as close as they’d come.
One bright spot of the night for Victoria was Chase Pirtle, who extended his personal point streak to 11 games, with an assist on Hungle's goal.
Kelsey stopped 32 of 36 shots for Victoria, while Montreal Canadiens prospect Quentin Miller turned aside 28 of 30 at the other end. The University of Denver commit has been lights-out in the playoffs, boasting a 10-5-0 record, 1.88 goals-against average, and .938 save percentage.
It’s a quick turnaround for the Grizzlies, who now face a pivotal game on Wednesday night at home. A loss would push them to the brink of elimination – and leave their Fred Page Cup dreams hanging by a thread.
Puck drops at 7 p.m. at the Q Centre.
The winner of the Coastal Conference Final will face off against the Interior Conference champion, where the Brooks Bandits are one win away from eliminating the Penticton Vees in their final BCHL season.
