The Vernon Sun Valley Source For Sports Renegades gained a split with the Kamloops Jardine’s Blazers in Okanagan Mainline Bantam Tier 1 Hockey League playoff action.
The last-place Renegades (1-18-1) took the best-of-three series opener 4-2 Saturday afternoon at Memorial Arena.
The host Blazers (8-11-1) grabbed a 1-0 lead just 34 seconds in on a shot from just inside the blueline that handcuffed goalie Louis Springer.
Power forward Carson Richards responded for the Renegades with an unassisted goal midway through the first frame to equalize. Vernon kept the pressure on and they were rewarded with goals by Blaine Caton (assists to Braydon McCarthy and Richards) and by Richards, from McCarthy and Julian Darkazanli, to take a 3-1 lead.
In the second period the Blazers got an early goal to cut the lead in half, but just minutes later Caton, from Richards and Braden Gilowski, scored his second of the game.
On Sunday afternoon at Priest Valley Arena, it was Kamloops recording a 5-2 win to even the series. The Blazers came out flying and went up 3-0 early in the second before Vernon started to scratch away at the lead.
Richards, from Caton and Darkazanli, scored at the 5:41 mark of the second to cut the lead to two. A few minutes later it was Caton that put one behind the Blazers’ netminder, but the goal was disallowed by the referee.
With just under three minutes left in the second, Caton fired one through the five hole to make it 3-2. The Renegades kept applying pressure and almost tied the score on a shot by Jorden Dewing that rung off the crossbar.
The comeback fell short as Kamloops scored an insurance goal with just over seven minutes left and scored with 3:54 remaining.
Bryce Dyck played a strong game in goal for the Renegades. The series concludes Sunday in Kamloops.
The Vernon Home Building Centre Vipers are facing elimination from the OMAHA Midget Tier 1 playoffs after falling 5-1 to the North Kamloops Lions Sunday afternoon at Memorial Arena.
The 5-9-6 Vipers had a few solid chances in the first 10 minutes but couldn’t beat hot North Kamloops goaltender Cameron Dagg, and two powerplay goals in the first frame turned out to be all the host team needed.
The 7-7-6 Lions added three insurance goals in the middle period before Trevor Pickett, from Ryan Beach, finally solved the Lions’ goalie early in the third.
Game 2 of the three-game series is set for Civic Arena at 5:15 p.m. Saturday with Game 3, if necessary, slated for Kamloops’ Memorial Arena Sunday at 1:15 p.m.
In Juvenile Rep playoff action, the Winfield Bruins blitzed the Vernon Battery Chargers 9-2 Saturday night in Lake Country to sweep the series in two straight games.
Vernon took 132 penalty minutes and Winfield was assessed 87 PIM.
The Vernon Machine Bantam Tier 3 Vipers edged Kamloops 2-1 in exhibition play Saturday.
With a short bench due to injury, illness and vacations, the Vipers called up goalie Dusty Beckner, who went the distance for the win, and Donte Nowell who played well up front.
Vernon’s first goal was scored by Josh DeCoffe on a pass from Zach Manton. In the second period, Bryton Stead scored with assists to Richard Thompson and Alex Richardson. Kamloops scored to spoil Beckner’s shutout bid with 6:17 left in the third.
The Sladen Moore Pee Wee Female Lakers lost 3-2 to the host Winfield Atom Development Team #1 with Emily Clarke and Julia McCaig scoring for the Lakers, assisted by Andie Kaneda and Jordan Butler. Samantha Head stopped 34 shots on net.
The North Okanagan Atom Development Knights ambushed the host Clearwater Hawks 11-0 in a league game Saturday afternoon.
Easton Hunter posted the shutout, while Eli Dwyer registered 4+2 and Alex Gilowski and Trevor Kennedy each earned 2+2. Bryan Brew bagged 2+1, while Brandon Matvenko scored once and Wes Graves supplied three assists.
In B.C. Major Midget League play, the Okanagan Rockets stormed the South Island Thunerrbirds 11-1 Saturday at Prospera Place and then tied the T-Birds 2-2 Sunday morning at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton.
Josh Ellis, from Vernon’s Mat Lambert and Mitchell Cook, and Banden Wagner, from Vernon’s Colton Thibault and Alex Gran, accounted for the Rocket goals Sunday.
Thibault supplied 2+1 as the Rockets won the opener (originally scheduled for Vernon, but the arena was not booked), while Lambert had 1+1. Vernon’s Mac Ferner and Harlan Orr (listed by Medicine Hat last week) had 2A.
