BENTLEY — Captain Sean Robertson scored with 25 seconds remaining as the Bentley Generals captured their seventh straight Chinook Hockey League title Wednesday with a 4-3 victory over the Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs.
Curtis Austring intercepted a pass in the Chiefs zone and fed Robertson for the winner. The Generals took the best-of-three championship series 2-1.
“It’s a very satisfying victory,” said Generals GM Jeff McInnis. “It’s nice to win a game you feel you deserved to win at least most of the night.”
Jim Watt stood tall in the visitors’ net, turning aside 33 shots. Dan Bakala made 18 saves for the Generals, who watched a 3-0 lead shrink to a single goal when the Chiefs’ Jamie Marshall and Bryan Forslund scored 50 seconds apart in the middle stanza.
Forslund then pulled Fort Saskatchewan even with a marker 7:54 into the third period.
“It got pretty tense and I thought Fort Saskatchewan carried the play in the third period,” said McInnis.
Chinook scoring champion Chris Neiszner connected in the first period and the Generals appeared to be off and running when Scott Doucet and Matt Kinch tallied short-handed goals in the second frame.
Each team was assessed four minor penalties.
The Generals, who are hosting the Allan Cup tournament in April, will take on the Sylvan Lake Admirals in the first game of a best-of-seven provincial senior AAA semifinal Monday at 2 p.m. at the Red Deer Arena.