Epp scores winner in OT for Warriors
The West Kelowna Warriors came back from two goals down to defeat the Merritt Centennials 3-2 in overtime in BCHL action on Friday night at Royal LePage Place.
The winner came to the home team when Braiden Epp tapped home a Quin Foreman pass from below the left face-off circle.
The Cents came ready to play, grabbing the early lead with two goals in the first 1:55 of the first period.
In the second period, Logan Mostat buried his first goal as a Warrior and 12th overall, banging the rebound of a Foreman shot past Merritt netminder Colten Lancaster.
The Warriors tied the game at the 11:51 mark of the second period on a gorgeous shot from Foreman.
The third period was scoreless, with Warriors goaltender Shane Farkas standing tall to make 12 saves and get the game to overtime.
The same teams face off again tonight, this time in Merritt at 7 p.m.
Smith swims to PB at worlds
WINDSOR, Ont. — Canadian Kylie Masse continued her solid performance at the FINA world short-course swimming championships on Friday by qualifying for the 50-metre backstroke final.
The 20-year-old Windsor, Ont., native finished fifth in Friday’s semifinal in 26.34 seconds, lowering her own Canadian record set earlier in the meet and advancing to today’s final.
Etiene Medeiros of Brazil was first, qualifying in 26.00.
“I don’t know how to describe it but tonight felt a lot smoother (than the morning),” said Masse, who had the fourth-fastest qualifying time at 26.57 in her morning heat. “I’m happy with that.”
Masse won silver in the 100 backstroke at the meet on Wednesday, the same distance in which she captured bronze at the Rio Olympic Games this summer.
Rachel Nicol of Lethbridge, Alta., qualified for today’s 100 breaststroke final, turning in a personal best time of 1:05.15 in her semi for an overall sixth-place finish.The top eight swimmers advance to the final.
Kierra Smith of West Kelowna finished 12th in 1:05.45, also a personal best.
The world short-course championships run through Sunday.
Canada’s total of four medals is the most since the 2004 championships in Indianapolis. Canada’s best ever medal total was eight in Hong Kong in 1999.
Canada golden at opening skicross
VAL THORENS, France — Marielle Thompson of Whistler won the first women’s World Cup ski cross race of the season Friday.
The reigning Olympic women’s champion took advantage of a crash involving Swedish teammates Anna Holmlund and Sandra Naesland in the final to secure the win.
“I could have been a bit better out of the start, but I was close behind the two Swedes most of the way down,” Thompson said from France.
Thompson, 24, led her quarter-final heat from start to finish, but her semifinal was also dramatic.
Running third for most of it, Thompson pipped teammate Kelsey Serwa of Kelowna in a photo finish for second and a spot in the final.
“I ended up moving on with a pretty good reach of my arm,” Thompson said.
Serwa dropped to the consolation final to finish eighth ahead of Georgia Simmerling of West Vancouver.