Vees score OT victory
Vipers also win, but Warriors lose in Victoria
Taylor Ward and the Penticton Vees worked overtime to halt a five-game winless skid.
Ward scored just seven seconds into the second five-minute overtime session to give the Vees a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Prince George Spruce Kings in front of 2,729 fans on Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Massimo Rizzo and Ward got in on a two-on-one break right off the faceoff in the three-on-three period, Rizzo slipped the puck to Ward and the veteran made no mistake with a high shot over Evan DeBrouwer.
After two scoreless periods, recently acquired forward Marcus Mitchell scored his first Vees goal on a power play. But former Vees forward Ben Brar tied the game with 5:25 to go to at least earn his team a valuable point.
Adam Scheel made 26 saves for the Vees, while DeBrouwer stopped 30 shots for P.G.
The Vees (23-9-2-2) stayed tied for third place in the Interior Division with the surging Trail Smoke Eaters, who won 3-2 in Coquitlam.
The Spruce Kings (20-12-3-4) edged within a point of first-place Langley in the Mainland Division.
The Vees finally got the breakthrough on their sixth power play of the night with 8:17 to go.
Morris advances to Page playoff
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. — Brad Gushue and Val Sweeting will face John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes in the Page 1-2 playoff at the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials after picking up victories on Friday evening.
Gushue and Sweeting toppled Mark Nichols and his partner Jennifer Jones 10-3 in the second round of the playoffs to advance.
Meanwhile, Morris and Lawes toppled Joycelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant 7-5 for their spot in the Page 1-2 playoff.
Gushue and Sweeting lost their first two games of the trials, but rallied by winning seven of their last eight games. “I think we’re pretty good,” Gushue said. “Having said that, I don’t necessarily want to play a lot of these guys out here either. I feel confident in how we played today and certainly if we can continue that into tomorrow and hopefully on Sunday we’re going to have a good chance.”
Gushue and Sweeting take on Morris and Lawes today, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s final. The winner of the championship draw will represent Canada when mixed curling doubles makes its Olympic debut next month at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.
“I think no matter who you’re playing in the 1-2 game, it’s going to be a battle,” Morris said.
In other action, Chelsea Carey and Colin Hodgson continued on their path
Mitchell was stationed at the edge of the crease to rap home a rebound of Jackson Keane’s shot, with Nicky Leivermann also assisting.
The lead didn’t last long as Brar knocked in a rebound that a lunging Scheel couldn’t quite reach.
But Ward would have the final say with his second overtime winner of the season. Dakota Boutin also got an assist on the goal.
Ward, Scheel and DeBrouwer were the three stars.
The Vees — still missing five key players due to injury and suspension — welcome the Wenatchee Wild to the SOEC tonight at 6 p.m.
Vipers 2 Centennials 0: Jimmy Lambert’s power-play goal early in the towards the gold-medal game through the B-side of the playoffs.
The pair scored an 11-5 victory against Dana Ferguson and Brendan Bottcher to advance, while Ferguson and Bottcher were eliminated.
Also, Jill Officer and Reid Carruthers defeated Laura Crocker and Geoff Walker 6-4 to stay alive on the B-side. Walker and Crocker are eliminated.
It will be do-or-die for the four remaining teams in today’s double-knockout.
Carey and Hodgson face Jones and Nichols, while Officer and Carruthers are up against Peterman and Gallant.
The winning teams will advance to the Page 3-4 playoff.The winner of that will go to tonight’s semifinal against the loser of the Page 1-2 game.
Folk hero earns return trip to Olympics
CALGARY — Gilmore Junio was Canada’s feel-good story of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The Calgary speedskater is happy there will be a sequel in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Junio earned his Olympic berth in the men’s 500 metres Friday at Canada’s long-track trials.
He became a Canadian folk hero for his selflessness four years ago when Junio handed over his spot in the men’s 1,000 metres to teammate Denny Morrison, who won a silver medal in the distance.
Junio, who placed 10th in the 500 metres in Sochi, says there’s more than that good-guy moment to be written in his Olympic tale.
“I’m not too sure yet what the narrative is going to be, but I’m glad the story gets to have another chapter and not just end here,” the 27-year-old said.
The trials, which conclude on Tuesday,
SKATING
third period broke a scoreless tie as Vernon beat visiting Merritt at Kal Tire Place.
Jagger Williamson added an emptynetter with 24 seconds left and Ty Taylor made 22 saves for the Vipers (27-8-2-1).
Vernon increased its lead atop the Interior Division to six points over Wenatchee, which surprisingly lost 3-0 on the road to the last-place Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
Jacob Berger made 27 saves for Merritt (15-18-2-1). Lambert, Taylor and Berger were the three stars.
The Vipers remain at home to take on Prince George tonight at 6 p.m.
Grizzlies 7 Warriors 3: Dayne Finnson scored twice and Ethan Nother had three assists as Victoria beat visiting West Kelowna.
Jamie Rome, TJ Friedmann, Justin Michaelian, Cam Thompson and Alex Newhook also scored for Victoria (21-14-3-2), which led 4-3 and 5-3 at the period breaks.
Jared Marino, Stephen Kleysen and Chase Dubois scored three straight goals in a span of 3:26 to give the Warriors a 3-2 lead and chase Victoria starter Kurtis Chapman. Zachary Rose came on to blank West Kelowna the rest of the way.
The Warriors (18-18-1-1) next visit the Nanaimo Clippers tonight at 6 p.m. and close out their three-game Island trip Sunday at 2 p.m. against Alberni Valley. will complete Canada’s long-track team for February’s Winter Games. The 10 men and 10 women who will race for Canada at the Gangneung Oval will be announced on Wednesday.
The trials continue today with the men’s and women’s 1,500 metres.
Some skaters were already assured of Olympic berths in certain distances prior to trials, based on results in World Cups through the first half of this season and at last year’s world single-distance championship.
Alex Boisvert-Lacroix won the men’s 500 on Friday even though he’d been pre-selected for Pyeongchang.
The 30-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que., won his first career World Cup gold medals last month in Salt Lake City, Utah, and in Calgary.
Boisvert-Lacroix is training to peak for Pyeongchang, so he was more than satisfied with his performance Friday on little rest.
“I’m happy with the way I skated and I showed I deserved my place on this team more than ever,” he said.
Junio finished third behind runner-up Will Dutton of Regina, who didn’t race under the time standard of 34.47 seconds. Dutton will attempt that time again today in Canada Cup races prior to the 1,500 metres. Junio had met the time standard prior to trials, but had to finish top three Friday to become a two-time Olympian.
Marsha Hudey of White City, Sask., and Winnipeg’s Heather McLean were first and second respectively in the women’s 500 to punch their tickets to Pyeongchang.
Hudey will compete in her second Winter Games after racing the 500 in Sochi, while McLean will make her Olympic debut.
“It’s something I’ve dreamed about my entire life to compete in the Olympics,” said McLean. “I can finally start thinking about it.”