Vernon’s Trevor Fitzgerald and the Nanaimo Clippers needed a win over the Yorkton Terriers in the three versus four game Saturday to stay alive in the Western Canada Cup in Nanaimo.
Fitzgerald, the Clipper captain, had 1+1 as Nanaimo eliminated the Manitoba champion Steinbach Pistons 4-1 Thursday night in the Crescent Point Energy Junior A hockey tourney. Nanaimo (2-2) finished fourth in the round-robin and Yorkton (2-2) third.
The B.C. Hockey League champion Surrey Eagles met the Brooks Bandits of Alberta for the WCC title Saturday night at Frank Crane Arena. The winner gets the first berth in the Royal Bank Cup, May 11-19 in Summerside, PEI.
The loser of the WCC final will meet either Nanaimo or Yorkton today for the second RBC spot. Vernon’s Colten Dahlen also plays for the Clippers, coached by former Viper bench boss Mike Vandekamp.
Defenceman Josh Bryan, named player of the game, said the Clippers would have been devastated with anything other than a berth in the WCC’s playoff round.
“We were hoping for a higher result, maybe playing in the first-second game, but obviously that’s not going to happen so we’ve just got to bear down and we’ve got to win out the rest of the tournament.”
Mason Mitchell, Reid Sturos and Garrett Brandsma also scored as the Clippers stopped Steinbach. Taylor Friesen replied for the Pistons in the second frame before 1,200 fans.
The Pistons played like a team facing elimination in the second period, firing 21 shots on Clippers’ goalie Jayson Argue.
Former Viper Adam Tambellini scored a powerplay goal as Surrey bounced Brooks 3-1 Thursday afternoon before 1,380 fans. Both teams finished at 3-1 with Surrey taking top seed because of their win over the Bandits.
– Vernon’s Curtis Lazar scored an insurance goal as the Edmonton Oil Kings grounded the host Portland Winterhawks 4-1 in Game 1 of the WHL championship Friday night at the Rose Garden.
Henrik Samuelsson collected two goals for the Kings, both assisted by Stephane Legault in front of 10,000 fans. Dylan Wruck had Edmonton’s other goal, and Laurent Brossoit anchored the defence with a 35-save showing.
Taylor Leier answered for the Hawks.
– Vernon’s Noah Turanski was chosen in the ninth round (189th) by the Prince Albert Raiders in Thursday’s WHL Bantam Draft. Turanski, a towering d-man, played for Kelowna’s Pursuit of Excellence this season.
As reported in Friday’s Morning Star, forward Jagger Williamson of the Renegades was picked in round six by the Seattle Thunderbirds.
