The Nedco Dudes clipped the Talon Benefits Hawks 5-4 in the Midget Super Hockey League final Monday night at Wesbild Centre.
Marcus Finn (2), Kristian Currie, Dallas Zupp and Julian Darkazanli scored for the Dudes, while Justin Mitchell, Adam Fenske, Sean Conners and Landen Ehnes replied for the Hawks. D-man Jeff Hiscoe had two assists.
Julian Darkanzali tipped in a Finn shot to give the Dudes a 5-4 lead late in the second perid. Goalie Jared Larsen shut out the Hawks in the third period as the Dudes killed off a 5-on-3 power play and a 6-on-4 in the final minute.
The Dudes begin the Valley championships tonight in Penticton with Clearwater, West Kelowna and the host team entered.
Nedco, who also took the regular-season title, outlasted the host Lumby Stars 7-6 in a thrilling semifinal Sunday.
It was 6-6 when Zupp (2+2) scored the winner, but the Stars enjoyed a late powerplay, and with their goalie pulled for a 6-on-4, pressed hard but Larsen made some impressive glove saves.
Currie (2+1), Taylor Hamilton-Gee (1+2), Brenden Zupp and Garrett Dansereau completed the offence.
Said Dudes’ head coach Darren Zupp: “The final was another battle in the trenches by two evenly-matched teams as was the semifinal against Lumby. I would like to thank our assistant coaches Daryl Brodoway and Brent Magnus for all their work with the team, the parents for their support, the players for their determination and desire in a game that could have gone either way, Lumby and Vernon #2 Hawks for their class in two of the best games this season.
“And also to thank the referees for doing a good job despite the pressure and criticism they face. And last but not least Gene Anderson and crew for doing a good job running the Super League.”
Mitchell scored four times and Landon Munk added one as the Hawks brushed back the Vernon Seed Orchard Ducks 5-2 in Sunday’s semifinal at Civic. Steve Goebel had both goals for the Ducks, who trailed 3-0 at the ice clean.
Fenske supplied 4+2 and Conners pocketed 2+5 as the Hawks held off the North Okanagan Knights 11-6 Saturday night at Civic.
Munk scored twice, while Justin and Lucas Mitchell each had 1+2 and Braden Gilowski also had a single. D-man Chase Larsen had two helpers.
Darryl Fidler earned 2+3 for the Knights, who got other snipes from Landen Boyce, Brody Clark, Jayden Burke and Austin Prevost.
Devils settle for second place
The first-place Winfield #Bruins brushed back the Sun City Donair Devils 4-3 in the exciting Pee Wee final Monday night in Lumby. Finnian O’Keefe (2) and Brayden Beacom scored for the second-place Devils.
O’Keefe collected six goals as the Devils iced the Butcher Boys Titans 10-7 in Saturday’s semifinal. Jaden Foster, Chapperon Chillihitzia, Beacom on a penalty shot and Seb Wenger added singles. Landen Harrison and Tyson Sampert each had 3+2 for the Titans, Chris Aldrich adding a single.
The Devils downed North Okanagan 5-3 in quarterfinal action with O’Keefe (3), Chillihitzia and Wyatt Gatzke handling the offence.
The Bruins bounced the Vernon Stevenson Mechanical Blues 6-2 in semifinal action Sunday at Civic.
Kael Black, on a first-period penalty shot, and Cody Webb scored for the Blues, who advanced to the final four with a 5-win over the Bannister GM Flames Saturday in Winfield.
Reid Lawrence had a natural hat trick for the Blues, who received outstanding goaltending from the combo of Dylan Blazek and Sam Knox to avenge a 3-0 loss six days earlier to the Flames in the seeding round.
Black jumpstarted the Blues’ offence with a snipe that went post-and-in behind Flames’ goalie Reece Hawthorne at 18:02 of the first period.
Colton Riguidel completed the mechanics’ scoring when he one-timed a Kim Whitelaw pass and squeaked it past Hawthorne.
Nick Mitchell recorded the Flames’ goal on a coast-to-coast, third-period shorthanded dangle, beating Knox with a wrister.
Black Knights take Atom crown
The North Okanagan Black Knights edged Lumby 4-3 in double overtime in the Atom league final Monday night at Nor-Val Sports Centre. Marlea Best made an awesome pass to Easter Hunter, who nailed it five-hole with 17 seconds left in double OT
Hunter opened the scoring on a second-period breakaway and early in the third, Jordan Zbytnuik’s line (Derek Gilowski/Austin Dubland) scored goals within 20 seconds, Zbytnuik on a breakaway and Gilowski from a face-off pass.
Linden Catt netted the Stars’ first goal in the third period before Conner Seehaver bagged a deuce, including the equalizer, with 27 seconds to play.Thomas Burton was stellar in the Knights’ net.
The Black Knights rode the superb 27-save showing of Burton to a 3-2 Sunday semifinal win over Denny’s Ice Rockets.
After a scoreless first, Shaun Huizinga forced a turnover in the Knights’ zone, and Sapien Joe took the puck hard to the net, tucking it around Burton’s left pad.
The Knights could not solve starter Eric Foufoulas, and the Rockets held the lead past the midway point of the third. Levi Vanderdeen and Derek Pereboom were defensive walls. Liam Remple defused Knight chances, and headed rushes the other way. Skating miles, Liam Reid was a force all over the ice.
