Playing their first home game in front of fans in nearly 18 months, it wasn’t quite the end the Delta Ice Hawks were hoping for.
The Hawks opened their Pacific Junior Hockey League regular season schedule Tuesday night with a 4-3 shoot-out loss to the visiting White Rock Whalers at the Ladner Leisure Centre.
The PJHL is proceeding with a full 44-game schedule for the first time since the 2019-20 season after playing a handful of cohort games last fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the current provincial health restrictions, fans must wear masks and capacity in arenas is limited to 50 percent.
Local product Zachary Sherwin was the lone player to score in the shoot-out to give the Whalers the extra point that was up for grabs.
The teams exchanged third period goals with J.J. Milne’s tally midway through the frame tying the game for Delta.
White Rock opened the scoring before the hosts took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission on goals from Alec Scouras and Alex Lucchesi.
Justin Wagner turned aside 18 of 19 shots before making way for Dawson Chen who finished with 13 saves.
Delta returns to action Saturday with a visit to Port Moody before the Richmond Sockeyes visit Ladner at 7:35 p.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 14).
