Either the Chilliwack Chiefs or the Brooks Bandits will be one win away from capturing the Fred Page Cup tonight (Friday).
Game five of the BCHL championship series occurs in Alberta with the Chiefs and Bandits tied at two. Face-off is set for 6 p.m. Chilliwack time.
The clubs split games one and two in Brooks on May 16 and 17 and this week did the same in games three and four in Chilliwack on Tuesday (May 20) and Wednesday (May 21).
Tuesday's game was the longest in the 2020s for the Chiefs, as it took till 13:39 of double overtime for captain Mateo Mrsic to end the game with a shot just beyond the face-off circle.
Watch: Highlights from the Bandits game 4 win against the Chiefs to tie the series. pic.twitter.com/FE0AusXj0R
— Brooks Bandits (@BrooksBandits) May 22, 2025
Chilliwack had the opportunity to go up 3-1 with a win on Wednesday, but the Bandits answered back with a dominant 4-1 win in the Chilliwack Coliseum.
Brooks forward Michal Liscinsky opened the scoring at 19:27 of the first and that period was all Bandits as they out shot Chilliwack 15-5. An unusual penalty was called in the first period when Chiefs forward Nathan Beaulieu was called for illegal equipment after having his helmet knocked off and not going immediately to the bench.
The Interior Conference champions went up 2-0 when Luke Bibby added a power play goal at 10:04 of the second. Brooks again held the 13-11 shots edge in the middle frame. Chiefs forward Connor Arsenault nearly tied the game at 7:35, but a video review was deemed inconclusive and the call on the ice stood.
ZACH ZAHARA WITH THE GLOVE🧤@BrooksBandits pic.twitter.com/Xl4SSunRVP
— BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague) May 22, 2025
The offence kept coming for Brooks in the third, as AJ Lacroix made it 3-0 at 11:22 of the third. Chilliwack finally got on the board at 12:01 when Mrsic broke the shutout bid of Zach Zahara, but Brooks forward Nick Peluso replied with an empty net goal at 18:21 to put an end to any hopes of a comeback for the Chiefs.
Chilliwack was out shot 40-28 in game five and Zahara was spectacular with 27 saves. Chilliwack's Quentin Miller made 36 saves in the loss. The Chiefs had just one power play opportunity and were unsuccessful, while the Bandits went 1/3. Brooks defenceman Ethan Beyer was the only player to have a multi-point game and recorded a pair of assists.
THE CHIEFS ARE ON THE BOARD
— BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague) May 22, 2025
Mateo Mrsic strikes for Chilliwack with a sweet move in alone @Chiefs_Hockey pic.twitter.com/QCa8gIhrt0
Reported attendance on Wednesday was 2,022.
Bandits assistant coach Dakota Mason was pleased with his team's efforts in game four.
"A complete performance," he said, of the Brooks win. "Hard-fought game with lots of neutral zone battles, but we made less mistakes tonight. We really challenged the guys last night [Tuesday] to have a good performance and I thought we did."
🚨 Youth Tickets for $5 for Game 6 of the BCHL Final!
— Chilliwack Chiefs (@Chiefs_Hockey) May 22, 2025
Buy 1 adult ticket ($22), get youth tickets for $5.
Online & in person, discount auto-applies online.
Bring the family, pack the Coliseum, and cheer the Chiefs to the Fred Page Cup! 🔥
🎟️ Tickets: https://t.co/kyLs9kxSL7 pic.twitter.com/5v00dAQzh7
Game five is tonight in Brooks, but game six will occur in Chilliwack on Sunday (May 23) at 7 p.m. Sunday's game will either see one of the two teams win the Fred Page Cup or force a seventh game. The Chiefs announced a pre-game party outside the Coliseum with a poster making station, mini outdoor games and face painting. Elvis impersonator Steve Elliot is also back and all merchandise is on sale for 25 per cent off.
Game seven, if necessary, is scheduled for Tuesday (May 27) at 6 p.m. Chilliwack time in Brooks.
