Grizz romps past Dogs 8-2 as KIJHL enters Final Four
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By The Nelson Daily Sports
It’s going to take more than just a 90-point season to dethrone the defending Kootenay International Junior Hockey League champs.
Brendan Urban and Bruce Silvera, including three goals, each had four points to lead the Revelstoke Grizzlies to a convincing 8-2 victory over the Osoyoos Coyotes Sunday in game one of the Okanagan Confernence Final in the South Okanagan City.
The Grizz lead the best-of-seven series 1-0 with game two set for Monday in Osoyoos. The Coyotes had the best record of the regular season, posting an incredible 42-2-2-4 record.
Sunday’s contest was the first of the KIJHL’s Final Four. Fernie became the latest team to qualify after the Ghostriders outlasted the Creston Valley Thunder Cats in seven games of the Eddie Mountain Division Final Saturday at the Fernie Memorial Arena.
Fernie now meets Murdoch Division champ Castlegar Rebels in the Kootenay Conference Final beginning Monday in the East Kootenay City.
Johnny Park scored the winning goal at six minutes of the second period and Andrew Walton stopped 24 of 25 shots to power the Ghostriders to a 3-1 victory.
The pesky Cats push the Riders to the deciding game after Colton Meaden scored with a second remaining in the first overtime period to give Creston a 5-4 victory.
Game two of the Kootenay Final goes Tuesday in Fernie with the series shifting back to the Sunflower City for games three and four Thursday and Saturday.
Back in Osoyoos, the Grizz built a 6-0 lead — with four of the markers coming on the power play — 38 minutes into the game before the Desert Dogs were able to hit the score sheet.
Osoyoos out shot the Grizzlies 40-33.
This is Fernie’s fifth consecutive trip to the KIJHL Conference Final. The past two seasons the Riders lost to the Nelson Leafs. In 2007 the Ghostriders won the KIJHL title.
This season Fernie plays host to the Cyclone Taylor Championship, gaining an automatic bye into the four-team tournament.
The Cyclone Taylor Cup is set for March 31 to April 3.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
