Chiefs Take Game 1 of Final
Posted in Featured, Sports
The Kelowna Chiefs strike first in the Okanagan Conference Final in the KIJHL playoffs. The home side earned a 7-4 win over the Sicamous Eagles in Game 1 on Saturday night at the Rutland Arena.
The Chiefs jump out to a 1-0 lead after Landon Andrusiak scored his sixth goal of the playoffs just over a minute into the game. Dane Rupert added an assist.
The Eagles would tie the contest with three minutes to play in the first after Connor Buick tickled the twine from Nathan Grieve and Jagger Bowles. The Eagles would then take their first lead of the game just 39 seconds later on an unassisted goal by Corbin Marcotte. It was 2-1 after 20 minutes.
In the second the Chiefs wasted little time tying the game, just 53 seconds into the middle stanza Rupert scored on the power play from PJ Lawler and Braeden Hikichi.Then with another man advantage the Chiefs regained the lead 35 seconds later when Andrusiak tallied his second of the night from TJ Dumonceaux.
The game would see its third tie at the 5:57 mark as Brendan Devries from Mike Piderman and Stewart Coyle would score for the Eagles. After 40 minutes the scoreboard would read 3-3.
In the final frame the Chiefs would once again score just 53 seconds into the period when Andrusiak completed the hat trick from Rupert and Lawler. The Eagles would yet again tie it shorthanded when Buick found the back of the net from Bowles.
The Chiefs would break the tie and take the lead for good at the 12:17 mark when Jordan Salahor scored his first of the Conference final from Dumonceaux. The Chiefs would ice it with a pair of goals from Brent Lashuk. The first was unassisted at the 6:45 mark, and then at 1:39 of the third he lit the lamp from Rupert and Andrusiak.
The Chiefs top line was well represented in the three stars when Andrusiak (3+1-4pts) was named first star. Rupert (1+3-4pts) was the second star and the Eagles’ Buick (2 goals) was the third star.
Game 2 of the Conference final goes Sunday night at Rutland Arena, puck drop at 7:00pm.
Elsewhere in Game 1 of the Kootenay Conference final the Beaver Valley Nighthawks beat the Fernie Ghostriders 5-2. Game 2 of that series goes Sunday as well.
