Cleve Dheensaw
Joseph Messina scored with 37 seconds remaining in regulation time to give the fourth-seed Rivermen a 3-2 victory in Langley over the fifth-seed Victoria Grizzlies on Friday night in the opening game of their best-of-seven B.C. Hockey League Coastal Conference opening-round playoff series.
The second game is tonight in Langley. The third and fourth games are Tuesday and Wednesday at the Q Centre.
The Alberni Valley Bulldogs and Nanaimo Clippers struck first in their opening-round series. The top-seed Bulldogs defeated the eighth-seed Cowichan Valley Capitals 5-3 and the third-seed Clippers edged the sixth-seed Surrey Eagles 3-2. The second-seed Chilliwack Chiefs beat the seventh-seed Coquitlam Express 6-3.
Meanwhile, Matthew Wood of the Grizzlies was named one of three finalists for both the BCHL MVP and top rookie awards. Sean Donaldson of the Clippers is also a finalist for league MVP.
