IT seems pretty safe to call it a dynasty now.
The North Shore/Burnaby-based Vancouver North West Giants continued their dominance of the B.C. Major Midget League this season, claiming their fifth straight championship with a two games to one win over the Okanagan Rockets in a series played March 22-24 at Burnaby Winter Club.
The Giants, with 15 of their 20 players hailing from the North Shore, clinched the series with a thrilling 1-0 win in the deciding game. North Vancouver's Anthony Conti tipped in a power play point shot in the second period for the game's only goal and West Vancouver's Bo Didur shut the door in goal to clinch the championship with a shutout win.
The Giants opened the series with a 3-1 win March 22, battling back from an early 10 deficit with goals from New Westminster's Brandon Del Grosso and North Van's Gavin Gould. Del Grosso sealed the win with a final goal with 30 seconds left in the game.
The giants looked to have the series sealed up in Game 2 as they held a 3-2 late into the third period but the Rockets pulled their goalie and tied it up in the final minute and then went on to win it on a Liam Finlay goal in the third overtime period.
"The boys were excited," first-year head coach Clint Thornton said after the game. "For the coaching staff, it was just relief to know we're on to the next round."
The Giants will now host the Pacific Regional finals scheduled for April 5-7. They'll face the winner of the Alberta final wrapping this weekend between Edmonton's South Side Athletic Club and the Red Deer Chiefs.
