By COREY LAROCQUE

Review Staff Writer

NIAGARA FALLS - One strong period of hockey and one huge finish lifted the Grimsby Peach Kings to a 3-2 win over the Chippawa RiverHawks in last night's Jr C action.

The Kings' Brandon Fuller scored 2:57 into the third overtime to give his team a fighting chance in the series. The win brings the series score to 2-1 in the best-of-seven Niagara Eastern playoff final. Before the game, the Kings were worried about giving Chippawa a commanding 3-0 series lead.

This is a big one. Three-nothing is a big deficit, Fuller said after the game.

Fuller got the game-winner from a scramble in front of the net, slipping it through RiverHawks goalie Chad Collins' pads.

It was just on the ice in front of the goalie. He has a big five-hole, Fuller said, noting that his teammates have been trying to beat Collins that way.

Down 2-1 in the third, the Hawks had called a timeout to regroup with 1:21 remaining in the period. Ten seconds later, Mike Kelley tied the game at two goals each with a shot from between the faceoff circles.

Grimsby's win still leaves them a game behind Chippawa in the best-of-seven series. Game Four goes Friday at 7:30 in Grimsby. The Hawks won last Friday in Grimsby and last Thursday at home.

Neither coach said they'd change anything to prepare for Friday's match.

Were not going to work on that much differently. Were just going to go over the systems again like we have all year," Kings coach Dave Brownridge said. "Were going to keep everything relaxed.

The loss was hard for the Hawks, said coach Chris Johnstone.

Its not hard because of the three overtimes. Its hard because we stunk in the first two periods.

To take the series, they must avoid the "sloppy play" they showed in the first two periods, he said.We controlled the series. And now we don’t.

Effective penalty-killing and a late first-period goal gave the Chippawa RiverHawks a 1-0 lead after the first period. Chippawa's Robert Orr opened the scoring late with a wrist shot from the face-off circle, beating Grimsby goalie Nick Smith high on his right side.

Chippawa outshot Grimsby 11-5 in the first period, despite having one player in the penalty box for much of the period.

But it was all Grimsby in the second period.

The Kings came out strong, scoring two early goals and then watched the Hawks play sloppy defence. Curtis Edgecumbe got the Kings first goal, less than two minutes into the period. The Kings scored again 4:21 into the period on a soft shot from the blue line. Dean Davidson's point shot found its way through traffic in front of the net and trickled through Collins' pads.

Both sides were a little tentative through the third period. The Kings, who looked more concerned with protecting their lead, were outshot 14-2.

When the Hawks pulled the goalie and put on the extra attacker, Mike Kelley got the clutch goal to send the game into overtime.