CRANBROOK, B.C. -- Joe Antilla has become an overtime weapon for the Kootenay Ice.
Antilla scored at 6:12 of overtime as the Ice won 3-2 over the Portland Winterhawks in Game 3 of the Western Hockey League finals on Tuesday night.
That gives the Ice a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series against the team that finished the regular season first overall in the Western Conference. The Ice eliminated the top two teams in the East en route to the final.
Game 4 is Wednesday night in Cranbrook, B.C.
Antilla took a pass in the high slot from Max Reinhart and scored with a wrist shot high on the glove side. It was Antilla's second overtime goal in this post-season.
"I just followed up the play, trying to see if something would happen," Antilla said. "I saw an opening on the wide side and started screaming for it and Max Reinhart put it on my stick and I out it home."
The Ice forced overtime with a goal late in the third period. Drew Czerwonka had a partial breakaway and scored with a backhand-to-forehand deke past Portland goaltender Mac Carruth while falling down.
"I was in a foot race with a defenceman," Czerwonka said. "Carruth kind of hesitated there so I won that race to the puck and tucked it in. I thought the goalie was closer to the puck than me but I won the race to the puck. I don't remember much after that, just watching the puck go in."
With the victory, the Ice have tied a franchise record with seven straight wins at home. Another win in Cranbrook on Wednesday would put the Ice a win away from the WHL title.
"We've got to do the same things we did tonight. Hard work," Czerwonka said. "That's what our team has been all about all year. It's a great feeling right now but we gotta be ready for tomorrow."
The Ice opened the scoring at 17:53 of the first period, as Kevin King picked the puck up in the circle and fired a wrist shot just under the cross bar. King extended his point streak to six games and has four goals in the series.
Sixty seconds later the Winterhawks tied the game as Ty Rattie took a drop pass from Craig Cunningham and fired a wrist shot that beat Portland goalie Carruth high on the glove side. Carruth finished with 38 saves.
The Winterhawks took a 2-1 lead early in the third period as Rattie found a wide open Sven Bartchi who scored into an empty net with a one-timer. Bartchi has five goals in the series.
"It was high level hockey during the whole game," Bartchi said. "We created a lot of chances, they created a lot of chances. In overtime it's always kind of luck but you know it could have been better for us."
Nathan Lieuwen made 34 saves on 36 shots for Kootenay.
Notes: The game included a 15-year-old on each roster. Ice forward Sam Reinhart and Winterhawks forward Nic Petan both played in their second game of the series.
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