Vancouver-Squamish (Zone 5) defeated Fraser Valley (Zone 3) by a score of four to three in a match that needed overtime to determine the winner of the inline hockey gold medal.

Precise passing and a fast-pace allowed Vancouver-Squamish to jump out to an early two-goal lead. Fraser Valley made it on the scoreboard with two minutes to go in the first half. Fraser Valley then tied the game at two with seven minutes to play and added the go-ahead goal just over one minute later. Vancouver-Squamish managed to score the equalizer with a powerplay goal in the dying minutes of the game.

The game would be decided by a three-on-three sudden-death overtime. Just one minute and four seconds into the five minutes of extra time, Douglas Kuo streaked down the right side and fired the puck past the Fraser Valley goaltender to win the game and gold medal for Vancouver-Squamish.

Kuo, 15-year-old forward from North Vancouver, had a simple strategy to ensure victory in overtime.

“If you don’t shoot, you don’t have a chance,” he explained.

“You just have to believe in the boys,” added Kuo, who never had a doubt that his team would win the game.

After the goal, Kuo’s teammates poured onto the ice in celebration. Vancouver-Squamish delighted in their hard-earned victory in this very exciting, back-and-forth match.