Interior final rematch set
Vees subdue Vernon in overtime, now face Salmon Arm Silverbacks
For the second consecutive season, the Penticton Vees and Salmon Arm Silverbacks will face off in the Interior Conference finals of the B.C. Hockey League playoffs.
The series opens with games this coming Thursday and Friday in Penticton, with the winner advancing to the Fred Page Cup final against the top club from the Coastal Conference.
The Vees advanced with a 2-1 overtime against the Vernon Vipers this past Friday to win that second-round series 4-1.
The Silverbacks advanced with a 6-2 win over the West Kelowna Warriors this past Friday to win that second-round series 4-1.
Over in the Coastal Conference, the Surrey Eagles and Alberni Valley Bulldogs are meeting in the finals.
Surrey advanced with a 4-2 series win over the Victoria Grizzlies, while the Bulldogs swept the Chilliwack Chiefs in four games.
The final round of the playoffs featuring the two conference champions opens May 17. The winner will square off against the top club from the BCHL’s Alberta division in a bestof-three series beginning May 31.
Penticton 2, Vernon 1 (OT) Fittingly enough, it was the Penticton Vees’ co-captains who combined on the overtime goal Friday night that lifted the club past the Vernon Vipers and into the third round of the BCHL playoffs.
Thomas Pichette, assisted by Callum Arnott, scored just 42 seconds into extra time to nail down a 2-1 victory in Game 5 and secure a 4-1 series win.
Total shots were 40-15 in favour of Penticton, but there was no scoring until Erik Pastro got the Vipers on the board about three minutes into the third period. Larry Keenan tied it up for the Vees with just under two minutes left in regulation time to send the contest to overtime.
Will Ingemann earned his fifth win of the post-season in Penticton’s net, while Ethan David, who started all 10 of the Vipers’ playoff games, took the loss for Vernon.
The Vees, who are on the hunt for their third consecutive BCHL playoff title, have lost just once in nine games so far in this post-season, after sweeping the Prince George Spruce Kings in Round 1.
Salmon Arm 6, W. Kelowna 2 Patrick Rafferty scored what held up as the game-winner early in the second period as the Salmon Arm Silverbacks downed the West Kelowna Warriors 6-2 on Friday night to advance to the third round of the BCHL playoffs.
Shots were 37-28 in favour of the Warriors, but Silverbacks goaltender Eli Pulver was up to the task. Matthew DellaRusso took the loss for the Warriors.
Salmon Arm led 2-1 after the first period on a pair of goals from Tanner Walos, then extended the lead to 5-1 after 40 minutes thanks in part to a pair of goals from Casy Laylin.
Patrick Raferty and JJ Monteiro also tallied for the Silverbacks, while Felix Caron and Isaiah Norlin were the Warriors’ lone scorers.
Salmon Arm opened the playoffs with a 4-2 series win over the Merritt Centennials.