Malcolm Gould put the last dagger in the Westside Warriors playoff hopes.
Gould scored twice including the game winner in overtime as the Chilliwack Chiefs edged the Warriors 4-3 Sunday afternoon at Royal LePage Place.
The loss mathematically eliminates the Warriors from playoff contention.
Curtis Toneff with his first BC Hockey League goal, Brennan Clark and rookie Adam Plant all scored for the Warriors who played without regulars Mathew Berry, David Pope, Brett McKinnon and Garrett Skrbich.
Mathieu Tibbet and Jaret Babych also scored for the Chiefs who moved into fourth spot in the Interior, a point up on the idle Vernon Vipers.
Plant forced overtime with his second career goal in just his fourth game with the Warriors with a wrist shot from the left boards that somehow found its way past a screened Mitch Gillam.
In overtime, Gould picked up an errant pass at the Warriors blueline and ripped a wrist shot short side just under the cross bar.
Despite taking the Chiefs to overtime, Warriors coach Rylan Ferster expected more from a team fighting for its playoff life.
"I thought we worked relatively hard for the most part. Again, we made some mistakes and they end up in our net," says Ferster.
"We still have some guys on our team that want to take shortcuts and that's what happens when you take shortcuts, you don't win hockey games."
Ferster says the final half-dozen games will serve as an audition for next season and, based on their play Saturday in Vernon and Sunday afternoon there are some players who won't be back.
"I am really disappointed in some efforts here the last two nights by some guys. But again, this is character and it's a showcase for next year."
"This is a pretty good place to play hockey, a pretty good program and a pretty good league for that matter and we have some guys that are showing first hand they don't want to be here."
Sunday's game represented the first of a five-game homestand which will complete the home portion of the Warriors schedule.
They host Prince George and Trail Friday and Saturday before concluding the home schedule the following weekend against Chilliwack and Vernon.
Don’t forget to visit The General’s Report for ongoing looks at the Westside Warriors.
