Backed by a 37-save performance from Ryder Gregga, the Kerry Park Islanders defeated the Comox Valley Glacier Kings 3-2 in Game 7 of their Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League North Division final to advance to the championship series against the Saanich Predators.

The Islanders never trailed in the deciding game. They took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. The teams traded goals in the second, and the Glacier Kings scored a power-play marker five minutes into the third, but the Islanders held on from there.

For Kerry Park, the third time was the charm, as the Islanders held a 3-1 series lead at one point, before the Glacier Kings fought back.

鈥淪ometimes things don鈥檛 go as you imagined them, or as planned, but you just have to adapt,鈥� said Kerry Park head coach Henry Acres. 鈥淭his group has tremendous grit鈥� to get to this point. We knew with our lineup today that scoring would be a little difficult, but making the most of your chances is what you have to do in these games. There鈥檚 an ebb and a flow to every series and fortunately, we took care of the ebbs.

鈥淥f course hats off to the Comox Valley team. That鈥檚 a really good team over there, and Mike (Nesbitt) and his coaches have done a fantastic job.鈥�

In the other dressing room, heartbreak.

The Glacier Kings came tantalizingly close to completing the series comeback, winning 6-4 at home on Wednesday, March 21, then 5-0 in Kerry Park on Friday, to force the winner-take-all scenario.

And they did everything but win, in front of what Glacier Kings co-owner Marsha Webb said was the largest crowd ever for a home game. Not only was every seat taken, the mezzanine was opened to accommodate the capacity crowd.

The Glacier Kings outshot Kerry Park 13-7 in the first, 15-8 in the second, and 39-26 overall, but came up just short.

They came within a crossbar on a late power play of sending the game to overtime.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 just the way hockey goes,鈥� said Nesbitt. 鈥淲e had a little bit of bad luck in the start of the series, put ourselves in a bit of a hole, and trying to win three games against a team as good as that is not an easy task. But it鈥檚 a tough loss.鈥�

Nesbitt said his players were showing their nerves a bit in the early stages of the game.

鈥淲e came out nervous, and you can鈥檛 play nervous. I tried to have them come out loose, try to relax, but you see 1,200 fans screaming, in Game 7, its just a different atmosphere.鈥�

The Glacier Kings have six players aging out this year, and another who has committed to college, meaning while there will be a lot of new faces next year, there is also a good core returning - including the coach.

鈥淚鈥檝e got my contract for next year and I am looking to come back,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 good core eligible (to return) so we will see what happens. It will be a long spring and summer leading up to next year.鈥�

Dates for the championship series have yet to be determined.