Both the tier two bantam and peewee Williams Lake Timberwolves were on the top of their games over the weekend, each qualifying for the B.C. Provincial Hockey Championships next month.
The teams now join the tier two Williams Lake Bantam Female Timberwolves, who advanced earlier in the month after beating Prince George, 3-2 and 3-1, in two games straight.
On Saturday in Williams Lake fans were treated to a down-to-the-wire thriller as the bantam T-wolves put away the Prince George Cougars, 3-2, in triple overtime of game two of the best-of-three Cariboo Amateur Hockey Association playoffs.
Daine Dubois was the hero, going top shelf from tight in after a shot off the draw by Will Paynton. Cody Swan picked up the assist on the faceoff win, Paynton fired a shot the Prince George netminder wasn’t able to handle, and Dubois buried the rebound under the crossbar.
Both Dubois (2G) and Payton (2A) picked up two points in the contest to lead the Timberwolves.
Hayden Lyons was solid for the Timberwolves between the pipes, picking up the win.
Bantam T-wolves’ head coach Brad Thomas said it was an exciting end to a great performance by his team.
“We told the kids after the overtime you can play hockey, or any sport your entire life or whole career, and never play a triple-overtime game you can win like that,” Thomas said.
“But the second game was a little closer than a guy wanted. We had our chances, definitely both games. Maybe we started out a little slow but come the second or third period we were able to outshoot and outplay them.”
In game one of the CAHA playoff finals on Friday the bantam Timberwolves doubled the Cougars, 6-3.
Paynton (3G) and Dylen McNeil (1G, 2A) both tallied three points, while Trey Thomas, Conley Pinette and Brett Alexander each chipped in two points.
The tier two bantam provincials go March 16-21 in Mission.
Thomas added the team hopes to put forward a strong showing at the tournament.
“We’re going to be competitive, but we’ll have to be at the top of our game to beat some of those teams,” he said.
For the peewee Timberwolves, their path to the provincial tournament was a similar one. Also facing Prince George, the T-wolves rattled off back-to-back wins to advance.
The T-wolves shellacked the Cougars on Friday at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex in Williams Lake, 8-3, to qualify for the tournament.
Scoring for the T-wolves was spread around as both Grady Thomas and Jacob Jackson found the twine twice, with Brendan Pigeon, Ty Sanford, Raeyden Beauchamp and Sam Powers each chipping in singles.
Assists in the game went to Powers (2), Cade Enns (2), Lane Paddison, Pigeon, Malakai Andy, Jackson and Beauchamp.
In game one of the best-of-three the peewee Timberwolves skated to a 5-2 victory.
Paddison, Pigeon, Jackson, Andy and Thomas tallied for the T-wolves in the winning effort, while Pigeon and Paddison chipped in assists.
The tier two BC Hockey Championships are being held in Juan de Fuca from March 16-21 this year.
For the tier two midget Williams Lake Timberwolves, their season ended in heartbreak as the team lost back-to-back games on the road in Prince George against the Cougars.
