The Victoria Cougars鈥� fairy tale regular season ended Thursday much the way it began, with another win.
Including the two aforementioned results, the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League club has managed to put together a record of 45 wins to go with just one regular-season loss and two shootout defeats, collecting 92 of a possible 96 points.
The latest victory was Thursday鈥檚 thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Saanich Braves 鈥� the team that handed Victoria its only regulation-time defeat in a 3-1 setback back on Nov. 22.
It鈥檚 been an incredible campaign with only one real flaw 鈥� that coming from the league itself. Incredibly, the Cougars might not have home-ice advantage at Archie Browning Arena if they reach the championship final series due to a perplexing format established by the VIJHL at the start of the year.
The league voted to have a one-game showdown where the lowest seeds from each division would have an opportunity to qualify for the post-season through a wild-card game. And whoever wins the game also earns home-ice advantage in the final for its division.
The Cougars now become cheerleaders for the Kerry Park Islanders in Sunday afternoon鈥檚 play-in game in which the Islanders face the Campbell River Storm at 1:30 p.m. at a neutral site, Bear Mountain Arena.
鈥淕o Kerry Park,鈥� Cougars head coach Mark Van Helvoirt said with a chuckle. 鈥淚t was a decision that was made outside of the coaching staffs of the league. It is what it is and we鈥檒l take what comes of it.鈥�
The winner of the wild-card game assumes the fourth and final playoff spot in the North, facing Nanaimo.
The Cougars, meanwhile, will open at home Thursday against the Peninsula Panthers in the South semifinal before heading to the Panorama Recreation Centre the next night at 7:30 in the best-of-seven series.
Saanich, which finished second in the South (28 points back of the Cougars), will entertain the Westshore Wolves in Game 1 on Monday at 7:30聽p.m. at Pearkes arena. Game 2 is set for Bear Mountain Arena on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
The defending-champion Cougars 鈥� who dropped shootout losses in Comox and Nanaimo 鈥� are obviously favourites to repeat.
Victoria recently set a new single-season points record, toppling the old mark of 89 achieved by the 2003-04 champion Storm.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great season,鈥� said Van Helvoirt. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a product of a lot of hard work and commitment by the young men.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be prouder of the season they put together. I know it鈥檚 just the regular season, but it鈥檚 still a pretty special accomplishment these guys can be proud of.鈥�
Victoria is led by Brody Coulter, the first Cougar to crack the 100-point plateau, as he finished the season with 39 goals and 79 helpers for 118 points.
Coulter surpassed the league鈥檚 modern-era points record of 104, set in 2003-04 by Jason Jacques who played for the champion Storm.
OVERTIME: Tickets for Sunday鈥檚 wild-card game are $10 but fans wearing Campbell River or Kerry Park team colours will gain entry for $5. VIJHL Twitter followers will also receive a password in which they can purchase tickets for $5.
