The Chilliwack Chiefs face a do-or-die scenario when the host the Penticton Vees at Prospera Centre.
Chilliwack lost 4-2 to the Penticton Vees in Penticton Thursday night, falling behind 3-2 in the best of seven series.
If the Vees win Friday night, the Chiefs are done.
As they have al series, Chilliwack gave Penticton all they could handle in game five.
The Vees got off to a strong start, leading 2-0 through 20 minutes on goals by Joey Benik and Wade Murphy.
But the Chiefs got a timely marker from Anderson White late in the second period to stay alive. The big defenceman scored on the power play, with Penticton's Steven Fogarty off for hooking. Alexandre Perron-Fontaine and Derek Huisman drew the assists.
Penticton got some breathing room early in the third period when Curtis Lolk scored a flukey goal, banking the puck off Chilliwack netminder Mitch Gillam from behind the goal-line. That put the Chiefs squarely behind the eight ball until Matthew Hutchinson scored with 5:52 left to set up a frantic finish.
Hutchinson scored just once during the regular season, and got his first of the playoffs, punching in the rebound of a Malcolm Gould shot.
But it wasn't to be for the scrappy Chiefs, who had several near misses in the final minutes, only to see Mario Lucia ice the game with an empty netter.
The three stars were Lucia (first), Lolk (second) and White (third).
Puck drop for game six is 7 p.m.