The first-place Vernon Nedco Dudes rattled off three playoff wins to earn a berth in the Okanagan North Midget Super Hockey League semifinals Sunday afternoon.
Goalies Corey Lehoux and Jared Larsen were sharp and the defensive corps of Kyle Evans, Julian Darkanzali, Daniel Desjarlais and Brandon Magnus were stingy as the Dudes posted wins over the North Okanagan Knights (8-1), the Vernon KT’s Blues (5-1) and Vernon Seed Orchard Ducks (6-2).
Rookie Marcus Finn pocketed 3+1 as the Dudes shelled the Knights, while Garrett Dansereau supplied 2+1 versus KT’s and Brenden Zupp and Finn each scored twice against the Ducks.
The second-place Talon Benefits Hawks went 2-1 and will face the Knights in Saturday semis. The final goes Monday night, 7:30, at Wesbild Centre.
Sean Conners bagged 2+1, while Landon Munk (1+2), Jeff Hiscoe and captain Justin Mitchell had singles as the Hawks trimmed the Blues 5-4 Saturday at Wesbild Centre.
Nik Wasylyk (2), Martin Grenier and captain Kyle Clark replied for the fifth-place Blues. Bryce Dyck defeated Austin Goss in a battle of two dynamo net detectives.
Chris Gallant supplied two gorgeous snipes as the Ducks edged the Hawks 4-3 Sunday at Wesbild, singles going to Steve Goebel and Aaron Kerryluke in front of Clay Coles and Trey Spanier.
Luc Mitchell, Conners and Justin Mitchell countered for the Hawks in front of Dyck. Adam Fenske earned two helpers.
Justin Mitchell supplied four goals, including an eye-popping backhander top shelf from in tight, as the Hawks ambushed the sixth-place Knights 10-2 Monday night at Nor-Val Sports Centre.
Munk added 2+2, while d-man Braden Gilowski recorded 1+4 and other goals went to Luc Mitchell, Bryton Stead and Fenske. Conners collected four assists and Hiscoe had three. Kieran Bell and Darryl Fidler replied for North Okanagan.
Butcher Boys shock Sub City
The fifth-place Butcher Boys Titans upset the second-place Sub City Donair Devils 7-4 Sunday afternoon at PV to make the Sunday Pee Wee semis. The final goes Monday night, 7:30, in Lumby.
Landen Harison parked a pure hat trick for the Titans. Miles Wohlford added a deuce and singles came from Sean Howard and Tyson Sampert.
Brayden Beacom (2), Abbey Magnus and Chapperon Chillihitzi produced the Devil goals.
Butcher Boys bounced the Stevenson Mechanical Blues 5-2 Saturday morning at Wesbild Centre.
Harison earned 2+1, while Wohlford, Howard and Chris Aldrich added singles. Huge defensive play came from Howard, Mac Gilchrist, Troy Main and Dakota Becker. D-man Cody Webb staked the Blues to an early lead with two unassisted goals.
First-year goalies Nick Maglio and Caenan Wisse were magic in both wins.
The fourth-place Bannister GM Flames lost 7-5 to the Bruins Saturday in Winfield and then shut out the Blues 3-0 behind the rock-star goaltending of Reece Hawthorne Sunday at PV.
Nick Mitchell, with the winner at 4:03 of the first period, Carly Southam and Jacob Brewer provided Flames’ goals Sunday with speedsters Alyssa Racine and Aaron Jodoin leading the Flames’ forecheck.
Mitchell (2), Jodoin (1+2), Chase Batchelor and Brewer looked after the offence in Winfield. Carter Morris had two helpers.
Sub City got three goals from Seb Wenger and 1+3 from Finn O’Keefe in a 7-4 win over the Knights Saturday. Jordan Foster, d-man Adam Raber and Beacom provided singles. Jaden Foster had two helpers.
The Blues snapped a five-game losing skid Monday with a 4-2 win over the Knights at Civic.
Kael Black opened the Blues’ scoring midway through the second period on a beautiful individual shorthanded effort. Black’s marker snapped a two-game Blues’ goal drought. Braydie Allen-Webber went to the net and buried a rebound of a Reid Lawrence shot for a 2-0 Vernon lead.
Lawrence gave the mechanics a 3-0 lead in the final minute of the period with a laser from the slot.
The Knights responded when Nico Muller’s shot hit d-man Angelina Mayer’s skate and deflected past Sam Knox, who was solid in relief of an equally stellar Dylan Blazek. Lawrence increased the lead to three again with solo goal at 15:26. Nicholas Walker fired the other Knights’ goal on a late scramble.
In Pee Wee consolation side play, the Lumby Stars (Terry’s Automotive and Kineshanko Logging) smothered Sicamous Predators 10-1 and grounded the Winfield #2 Bruins 5-2.
Tanner Franje Gilbert (3), Trayton Phillips (2), Josh Litven (2) and captain Quin Williamson (2) and Tage Kineshanko scored versus the Preds. Hard-working forwards Drew Mackenzie and Emily and Jordan Romailler played smart, aggressive hockey in front of Cameron Pryor.
At home Monday night, Williamson started the Stars’ offence on a tape-to-tape pass from Kineshanko. The Stars added to their lead in the second on a pretty solo goal from Phillips.
Kineshanko, Williamson and Litven supplied third-period snipes. D-men Jordan Romailler and Vanessa Yaremcio were stellar.
Bolts go big in Bantam playoff run
The third-place Scotiabank Lightning ran their undefeated Bantam Super League streak to 13 games with three playoff wins.
The Bolts opened the post-season by stopping the second-place DCT Chambers Coyotes 7-4 Saturday in Armstrong.
Down 2-0 after goals by Graham Moss and Parker Wadsworth, the sparks began to fly after Lightning forward Branden Lehoux fed Brett Lambert (4+1) for a snipe from the slot.
The Lightning found themselves shorthanded in the second period and received excellent penalty killing by Taylor Cousins who consistently won battles for the puck along the boards. Jed Halvorson, Landon Currie and Cam MacKenzie registered singles for the Bolts, while Cole Martin and Dex Elders had the other Coyote goals.
The Scotiabank crew outlasted the regular-season champion Interior Savings Flyers 7-6 Sunday at Civic. Lambert (3+4), Currie (2) Sam Frisby and Hayden Vardon directed the offence in front of Rowan Wood, whose best save was a glove-flasher off a face-off shot.
Jaden Steinke (2+2), Keefer Kaempf (2+1), Adam Roemer and stalwart d-man Darnell Hauca handled the Flyers’ attack.
The Bolts earned a bye to Sunday’s semifinals by icing the Salmon Arm Fix Auto Blades 4-2 Tuesday in Sicamous. The final is Monday, 7:45 p.m., Civic.
Currie from Frisby, and Frisby from Lambert, counted early Lightning powerplay goals. It was 2-2 when Frisby skated coast to coast for a highlight-reel snipe. Wood and Isaac Waldemaras were both busy and sharp as the Bolts killed off several penalties. Sam Eggert, MacKenzie and Currie sparked the penalty kill unit. Lambert one-timed a powerhouse shot, on a feed from Frisby, for insurance.
Rhys Larsen and Colton Annis provided clutch goaltending as the surprising fifth-place Five Star Awards Bulldogs upended the second-place DCT Chambers Coyotes 3-1 Sunday.
Jakob Marshall, with an assist to Riley Bos, gave the Coyotes the lead before Five Star got goals from Tyler Semeniuk skated coast to coast and finally got a shot past Holland, Seth Blundell, from Brennan Seltzer, fired the winner and Gourdine netted the insurance goal with 21 seconds left. The Dogs offense had help from Lucas Williams, Nick Demetrick, Connor Granger and Nicolas Poirier
The Bulldogs erased a 4-1 deficit and tied the Salmon Arm Fix Auto Blades 4-4 Saturday at the Shaw Centre. Gourdine and Brennan Seltzer each pocketed 1+2, while Ryan Jakes and Seth Blundell, with the late equalizer, rounded out the Dawgs’ offence.
The Flyers and Coyotes battled to a physical 3-3 tie Monday night at Civic with Kendra Ostafie netting two goals and Jaden Steinke one for the Flyers. Good offensive pressure and passing was turned in by Brendan Horsfield, Jake Pelletier, Adam McIvor, Ryan Lazar and Kaempf (2A).
Garrett Adams made a handful of great breakaway saves, while his goaltending mate Joseph Tronson stretched wide to record some big stops as well.
On the B side, the Corbett Office Supply Spartans blanked Salmon Arm North Broadview Plumbing 3-0 and doubled Winfield 6-3.
Billy Cawthorn was sharp in earning his first shutout of the year at the Shaw Centre. Reece Schroeder scored the winner six minutes into the second period, while Darius Stone and Chris Moore, on a dazzling spin-o-rama, completed the Spartans’ scoring.
The Spartans fell behind Winfield early in a fiery affair, but began a comeback when Ailish Curran got her first of the year on a great deflection and then Schroeder converted off a great province-wide rush.
Stone, on a rebound, and Moore (the highest scoring goaltender in the league), with two, finished the attack in front of Cawthorn.
Funk-Toews combo lifts ScoreHawks
The Vernon ScoreHawks edged the Kelowna Wildcats 5-4 in exhibition fun kids hockey Saturday at Priest Valley Arena.
Kaden Funk had three goals, all assisted by Marek Toews, for the Hawks. Wyatt Reimer added one snipe, assisted by his brother Dryden.
Naden Toews also scored one goal and played a really great offensive game. He was supported by his four brothers who also play on the team. Goalie Jay Azaz was solid between the pipes
Kobe Funk had some great chances but was shut down, Carson Maguire played great on defence and Jonah Donnelly and Jackson Cooper played excellent two-way games.
