The Junior B Border Bruins’ season may have wrapped last week, after the team suffered two road losses in the East Kootenays, but there’s still plenty of ice action on deck at the Jack Goddard Memorial Arena in Grand Forks.
The Boundary Adult Hockey League is down to its semi-finals. The Granby Buschmen secured their place Sunday night in a series-deciding and exhausting 6-5 victory over the Hardy Mountain Herd. Unfortunately, the Buschmen only have a quick turn around time before they square off against the league-leading Eholt Woodticks tonight (Feb. 25) in the first game of the semi-final at 8:15 p.m. in Grand Forks. Game 2 goes Friday night at 6 p.m. at the Jack Goddard Memorial Arena.
The Ticks, well-rested from a bye in the first round, have outscored their opponents by 51 goals over the season, thanks in large part to their leading points-getter Jerris Gregory. Finishing the regular season with 80 points in 23 games played (44 goals, 36 assists), Gregory’s performances on Feb. 25 and Feb. 28 could help his team etch their names into the Bahley Cup.
Despite the Ticks’ outstanding regular season performance, and the squad boasting the league’s top two scorers, Gregory and TJ Sebastian, a Bahley Cup championship is still far from guaranteed. Sebastian’s Ticks have found themselves on the cusp of greatness before but have failed to bring home the coveted prize. In fact, Sebastian has yet to raise the cup, despite playing every season since the BAHL’s inception in 2013.
The other side of the semi-final bracket pits Midway against the Cascade Powerhouse. Both teams clobbered their first-round opponents, with Midway winning 13-2 over two games against the Phoenix Miners and Cascade shocking the Borderline Bears by an aggregate score of 16-3. The two square off on Feb. 26 at the Boundary Expo Rec Centre in Midway at 7:45 p.m., before bringing the battle back to Grand Forks on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
If either matchup requires a Game 3 to decide the finalists, those games will be played on March 1.
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