After winning the division playoffs against the Osoyoos Coyotes, the Summerland Steam are facing the 100 Mile House Wranglers for the Okanagan-Shuswap Conference Title in Junior B hockey action.
The Steam defeated the Coyotes in a 6-4 win on home ice on Sunday, winning four games to the Coyotes’ two in the best of seven series.
“It was a big, big win,” Steam coach John DePourcq said of the playoff victory. “Osoyoos is a very good team. We had to play a perfect hockey game to beat them.”
Going into the playoff series, Osoyoos was ranked one of the top teams in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
The Coyotes won seven of the eight regular season games they played against the Steam. The strength of this team challenged the Steam players.
“From top to bottom, everyone had to step in to help us win,” DePourcq said of the series.
The best of seven championship series against the Wranglers began on Tuesday evening in 100 Mile House.
DePourcq said the Wranglers will prove to be formidable opponents.
“They’re a very good hockey team, big and physical,” DePourcq said. “It should be a great series.”
In regular season play, the Wranglers finished with 33 wins, 12 losses, three ties and four overtime losses.
The Steam finished their regular season with 34 wins, 16 losses and two overtime losses.
