The Ridge Meadows Flames met the top team in the Pacific Junior Hockey League on Jan. 22 in Richmond, and suffered a 6-3 loss to the Sockeyes.
Team captain Zack Lagrange scored, defenceman Axel Anderson got his second goal of the campaign, and Matthew Biros also bulged the net to keep an eight-game points streak alive.
The game was tied 3-3 after two periods, before Richmond took over early in the third.
The Sockeyes’ three goals in the final frame were all scored by international players – Australian Brody Lindal, Californian Jayden Shirk, and Beaudy Beaudin from Florida. Their other international player is goaltender Georgi Milanov of Bulgaria.
The Flames roster local talent, and have eight players from Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. The rest of their team is from B.C., with the exception of Anderson, from Whitehorse, Yukon.
The Flames power play went one-for-six, but their penalty killers allowed just one goal on nine power plays for Richmond.
Richmond improves their record to 37 wins and five losses, which is best in the PJHL.
The Flames are second to them in the Tom Shaw Conference with 25 wins and 13 losses.
They will have a chance to improve on that record tonight, Jan. 23, when they host the Chilliwack Jets.
The Jets won the first three meetings between these teams, but the Flames beat them 7-1 when they met on Jan. 11, as Sam Allen had a hat trick.
The game goes tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Cam Neely Arena.