Still classified as a rookie, the Grandview Steelers' Rhys Lefebvre showed some veteran chops this past week, helping the team knock off the visiting Port Moody Panthers 6-2 on Sunday.
Lefebvre counted a goal and two assists against his hometown squad, as Grandview improved to 3-1-1-1 in the Pacific Junior B Hockey League's Tom Shaw Conference.
While the two teams were deadlocked midway through the second period, with Jarod Yau opening the scoring for the Steelers, they jumped ahead 2-1 on Ryan Taylor-Kuipers' unassisted marker 17:07 into the second period.
Joshua Gibbons scored the eventual game winner at 6:06 of the third period, followed 17 seconds by Lefebvre with his first of the season in the defenceman's third game of the year.
Scott Rademaker and Vincent Timperio would add goals in the third -- both on assists from Lefebvre -- to put away the Panthers.
The 18-year-old Lefebvre played 23 games over the past two seasons for the North Van Wolf Pack, including putting up two goals and five assists over 15 games during the club's championship run last season.
Earlier in the week, Grandview suffered its first regulation loss of the season, falling 5-1 to the Richmond Sockeyes.
The visitors trailed 2-0 after one period and 3-0 early in the second. Anthony Benevoli got the Steelers' lone goal 6:14 into the second period, with assists from Lefebvre and Carson Zimmerman.
Richmond, which improved to 6-0 with the win, could have won by a lot more if not for the strong effort from netminder Cale Dolan. The 20-year-old Grandview backstop kicked out 38 shots on the night.
A pair of Steelers were ejected from the game, with Eric Fuerderer getting tossed early in the first period for kneeing -- which also drew a two-game suspension. In the third period, 15-year-old Quinn Myles was ejected after fighting Richmond's Ethan Strik.
The Steelers will look to hand the North Van Wolf Pack their first loss of the season on Saturday, when the two meet on the North Shore. The Wolf Pack sit first overall with an impressive 7-0, with five of the top-six scorers in the league wearing North Van colours.
On Sunday, Grandview hosts the Delta Icehawks, 7:15 p.m. at the Burnaby Winter Club.
