The longest postseason journey for the Chelsea High School hockey team will continue after a 4-3 victory over Riverview Gabriel Richard in an MHSAA Division 3 quarterfinals.

Chelsea sophomore Brad Hepler scored on a 5-on-3 advantage to put his team up 4-3 with just 3:26 left to play. Hepler retrieved the puck in his own zone and went coast-to-coast to score unassisted.

"I was the happiest kid on Earth," Hepler said about scoring the game winner. "After that, we were just 110 percent from there."

Hepler's goal was Chelsea's third straight in the third period after giving up three unanswered earlier in Wednesday's game at the Allen Park Civic Arena.

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Although Hepler gave the final blow, freshman teammate Jacob Ryan - who gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead back in the first period - was the set-up man for Chelsea's late rally.

With Riverview Richard (11-4-0) on the power play and up 3-1 with just over seven minutes left in the game, Chelsea needed a big play. Ryan stepped up and scored a shorthanded goal while fending off a hooking penalty to give his team new life.

"That goal kind of got everything started," Chelsea coach Don Wright said. "He didn't quit when that penalty was getting called. He just kept working and got the puck in the net. That turned the whole thing."

Chelsea (14-11-1) was back in the game, down 3-2, but 47 seconds later found itself on a 5-on-3 penalty kill.

"Most of us got kind of down," Hepler said. "But after a couple minutes and we were clearing the puck, our emotions went up and we just took over from there."

The Bulldogs killed the penalties and Anthony Catalina tied the game at 3-3 with 4:40 left to play. That set up Hepler's game-winner.

Chelsea went into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead after Ryan scored on a rebound shot with only 2.4 seconds remaining in the frame.

Riverview Richard responded in the second period with goals from senior Joe Skrzynski and sophomore Jake Somenauer. Chelsea was out-shot 12 to 4 in the second period, with eight of Riverview Richards' shots coming on the power play, finished the night with a 21-20 shot advantage.

After Riverview Richard senior captain Jimmy Steele gave his team a 3-1 lead early in the third period, Chelsea senior goalie Matt Darr did not let anything else get past him for the rest of the game.

"I think that Matt has just flat-out backstopped us in this run," Wright said. "He's just kept us in each game."

This is the third victory in a row in which Chelsea has won in dramatic fashion. The Bulldogs defeated their last two opponents -- Jackson Lumen Christi and Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central -- in overtime by identical 4-3 scores.

"I think they are trying to send me to an early grave," Wright said. "Or lose some more hair."

Chelsea will play Flint Powers Catholic in a Division 3 semifinals on noon Friday at Compuware Arena in Plymouth. More importantly for Chelsea, only two more victories are needed for a state title.

"We just have to stay healthy and relax," Hepler said. "We all know that we can win these next two games.

-- Jared Purcell