March 8/25
Kimberley Dynamiters (3) vs Creston Valley Thunder Cats (2)
Dynamiters win series 4-2
Remy Spooner’s two-goal performance helped the Dynamiters defeat the Thunder Cats and advance to the Eddie Mountain Division Final against the Columbia Valley Rockies. Leading 2-1, Spooner (Tristan Weill, Callan Valstar) netted the winner early into the third period. Weill collected two assists, while goalie Josh Hager only needed to stop 17 shots to earn the win. Brendan Smith saved 29 of 32 for the Thunder Cats, who got goals from Daniel O’Handley and Berkley Gross. Neither team scored on the power-play (Kimberley – 0-for-4, Creston Valley – 0-for-5).
100 Mile House Wranglers (5) vs Williams Lake Mustangs (1)
Wranglers win series 4-2
Ethan Davey led the Wranglers with a pair of goals in their win against the Mustangs as they advance to the Doug Birks Division Final to face the Kamloops Storm. Davey’s first goal (Nelson Webster, Kole Duquette) giving them a 2-1 lead proved to be the winner. Webster had two assists. They received strong goaltending from Tyson Endall, who made 31 saves. Alex Jessey made 33 saves for the Mustangs. The lone Mustangs goal was by Matthew Keylor (JP Desabrais, Asher Lucas) on the power-play (1-for-6). The Mustang penalty-kill was excellent going 6-for-6.
March 7/25
Creston Valley Thunder Cats (2) vs Kimberley Dynamiters (3)
Dynamiters lead series 3-2
Rookie Danik Reeves delivered a big three-point performance for the Dynamiters in their win over the Thunder Cats. Reeves scored the winner – assists to Nolan Kelly, Nick Hughes – early into the third period. Luke Davies and Billy Kiray each had two points. Dynamiters goalie Josh Hager stopped 18 of the 20 shots he faced. Liam Munro and Taylor Schmideder scored for the Thunder Cats, while Brendan Smith saved 40 of 43 shots. Neither team scored on the power-play – Thunder Cats 0-for-4, and the Dynamiters 0-for-5.
Sicamous Eagles (3) vs Princeton Posse (5)
Posse win series 4-1
Blake Sittler gave the Posse a strong 30-save performance to lead them past the Eagles with Brennan Watterson (Jace Shuttleworth, Grady Sterling-Ponech) netting the winner. Carson Hebert scored the Posse’s lone power-play goal. Kael Svenson earned the Eagles game star with a 34-save effort while Hayden Evans, Dexter Materi and Colton Fleming scored. The Eagles went 0-for-4 on the power-play.
Merritt Centennials (1) vs Revelstoke Grizzlies (3)
Grizzlies win series 4-1
Dylan Ruff (Sam Giangualano, Troy Horn) opened the scoring on the power-play for the Centennials, which went 1-for-11, then Keiran Keilly (Jett Patola, Faris Meddeb) scored the winner for the Grizzlies in the third period. The goalies were excellent as Ryder Ponto made 34 saves, while Mathis Perron stopped 35. Jett Patola led the Grizzlies with three points and Colton McLeod had two assists. The Grizzlies went 1-for-6 on the power-play.
Williams Lake Mustangs (3) vs 100 Mile House Wranglers (4)
Wranglers lead series 3-2
The goalies earned the stars of the game for their respective squads as Tyson Endall made 41 saves for the win, while Alex Jessey made 52 saves. It’s the second straight 50-plus save performance for the Calgary native. Nelson Webster (Brodie Gohmann) put the winner behind Jessey late in the third period, while Nash Hilworth led the Wranglers with two points. Both teams scored twice on their power-play in the opening period. Asher Lucas scored his fifth goal for the Mustangs, which ties him for the league lead.
March 4/25
Fernie Ghostriders (2) vs Columbia Valley Rockies (4)
Rockies win series 4-0
Peter Godley’s goal (Ashton Sledz, Kobe Mason) won the game for the Rockies over the Ghostriders, and punched their ticket to the second round. Hunter Arntsen, who had a .920 save percentage entering Game 4, stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced. Teo Fath led the Rockies with two goals, including the empty-netter, to secure the victory. The Rockies went 0-for-2 on the power-play. Taylor Haggerty, who entered Game 4 leading the league in playoff goals with four, opened the scoring, and assisted on Ben Skarsen’s goal. Nick Kunyk made 18 saves in the loss. The Ghostriders went 0-for-5 on the power-play.
Kimberley Dynamiters (3) vs Creston Valley Thunder Cats (6)
Series tied at 2-2
Berkley Gross (Joseph Krukowski) scored the winner for the Thunder Cats over the Dynamiters. Krukowski also scored twice, and Liam Munro collected two assists, while Brendan Smith stopped 33 shots. The Thunder Cats went 1-for-5 on the power-play. Trey Stephenson led the Dynamiters with two goals, both on the power-play, and Marc Samyn stopped 23 of 28 shots.
Grand Forks Border Bruins (5) vs Castlegar Rebels (3)
Border Bruins win series 4-0
Brandon Gray (Ryker Rougeau) clinched the series for the Border Bruins over the Rebels with his short-handed winner that gave them a 4-1 lead. Rougeau (Reid Schechtel) scored the 1-1 goal, and Eric Kahl stopped 31 of 34 shots. The Border Bruins went 1-for-2 on the power-play. Brayden Rotach led the Rebels with a goal and an assist, with Josh Hogman (Julian Knelson, Hunter Jaman) and Reid Gerrand also scoring. Mason Hillier stopped 30 of 35 shots. The Rebels went 1-for-4 on their power-play.
Beaver Valley Nitehawks (4) vs Nelson Leafs (2)
Nitehawks wins series 4-0
Brock Robertson (Boris Hristov, Owen Dickson) scored the winner for the Nitehawks against the Leafs to advance to the second round. Hristov also scored for the Nitehawks, while Connor Stojan didn’t face a lot of shots, stopping 17 of 19. Scoring for the Leafs were Leighton Partington (Devon Barclay, Connor Hovelkamp) and Barclay (Memfis Burgeson, Hovelkamp). Both goals came on four power-plays, while the Nitehawks went 0-for-3 on their power-play. Ryder Gregga made 29 saves for the Leafs.
Princeton Posse (2) vs Sicamous Eagles (0)
Posse lead series 3-1
Blake Sittler earned his second shutout of the series with a 24-save performance, while Tyson Horiachka (Justice Loewen, Jonathan Ward) scored the winner. Carson Hebert scored the insurance tally. Kael Svenson stopped 35 of 37 shots. Both teams went 0-for-6 on the power-play.
Revelstoke Grizzlies (2) vs Merritt Centennials (3) OT
Grizzlies lead series 3-1
Maxim Radmanovich kept the Centennials season alive with the overtime winner against the Grizzlies, and Mathis Perron was excellent with a 37-save performance. Radmanovich also assisted on Dylan Kruchten’s 2-0 goal. The Grizzlies forced overtime when Colton McLeod (Keiran Keilly, Jake Phillips-Watts) tied the game late in the third period. Devin Degenstein made 25 saves for the Grizzlies. Both teams power-plays were held off the scoresheet – the Centennials 0-for-7, and the Grizzlies 0-for-9.
100 Mile House Wranglers (1) vs Williams Lake Mustangs (0) OT
Series tied 2-2
Ethan Davey solved Mustangs goalie Alex Jessey when he scored with 25 seconds remaining in overtime. Jessey faced a lot of rubber as he stopped 56 shots, including 18 of 19 shots in overtime. It’s the fourth straight game Jessey has made at least 40 saves. Wranglers goalie Tyson Endall earned a 37-save shutout, and faced nine in OT. The power-play wasn’t a factor as the Mustangs went 0-for-6, while the Wranglers were 0-for-1.
Kamloops (3) vs Quesnel River Rush (2)
Storm win series 4-0
Luca D’Amore provided all the offence for the Storm against the River Rush. His second goal was the winner and helped the Storm advance to the second round. Brenner Fyfe made 52 saves, allowing goals to Richard Burden (Reece Unrau, Isaiah Bagri) and Gage Parrell (Ian George, Warren Roberts-Lee). Kyan Gray made 30 saves in the loss. The Storm were 1-for-2 on the power-play, while the River Rush went 1-for-3.
March 3/25
Fernie Ghostriders (4) vs Columbia Valley Rockies (6)
Rockies lead series 3-0
Ashton Sledz’s (Bryan Kim, Sam Cristo) empty net goal wound up being the winner for the Rockies over the Ghostriders. He scored earlier to give the Rockies a 3-0 lead. Cristo and Jack Thorne each collected two assists. Hunter Arntsen made 30 saves, while the Rockies power-play was contained going 0-for-3, after going 5-for-7 in the first two games. Taylor Haggerty had a goal and an assist, while Malachai North Peigan had two assists. Nick Kunyk saved 19 of 20 shots after relieving Cooper Anderson, who stopped 12 of 15 shots. The Ghostriders went 1-for-4 on the power-play.
Kimberley Dynamiters (2) vs Creston Valley Thunder Cats (7)
Dynamiters lead series 2-1
Sanjay Chalupiak scored twice on the power-play, including the winner, (Liam Munro, Joseph Krukowski) for the Thunder Cats against the Dynamiters. Munro led with four points and Brendan Smith was solid again in goal turning aside 34 shots. The Thunder Cats power-play, which hadn’t scored on eight tries, went 4-for-9. Danik Reeves (Billy Kiray) and Isaac Sommer scored for the Dynamiters, while Josh Hager stopped 18 of 25 shots. Kimberley’s power-play went 1-for-8 and was 3-for-11 coming into Game 3.
Grand Forks Border Bruins (2) vs Castlegar Rebels (0)
Border Bruins lead series 3-0
Jasper Tait stopped all 21 shots he faced from the Rebels to earn his first KIJHL playoff shutout, while Jace Koole (Keenan Holland, Logan McCabe) scored the winner. McCabe collected his second assist on Theo Naidu’s goal. The Border Bruins went 0-for-2 on the power-play, while the Rebels went 0-for-3. Mason Hillier had a strong performance in goal, stopping 19 shots for the Rebels.
Beaver Valley Nitehawks (5) vs Nelson Leafs (1)
Nitehawks lead series 3-0
The Nitehawks now have a commanding 3-0 lead in their series following a 5-1 win over the Leafs. Liam Ray (Sam Chartres, Hunter Hansen) scored the winner and Connor Drake had two assists. Connor Stojan had an excellent 30-save performance, allowing his lone goal to Cale Nachai (Carsyn Crawford, Dayden Collier). The Nitehawks went 1-for-9 on the power-play, while the Leafs were 0-for-5. The Leafs are now 0-for-18 overall. Ryder Gregga stopped 27 shots.
Princeton Posse (3) vs Sicamous Eagles (2) OT
Posse lead series 2-1
Jeffrey Stewart (Alex Westlund) scored the winner for the Posse over the Eagles. Gibson Horne stopped 30 shots, including three in overtime for the Posse, who went 0-for-6 on the power-play. Kael Svenson was incredible in his playoff debut, making 43 saves on 46 shots. The Eagles went 1-for-1 on their power-play, getting a goal from Ashton Angle (Colton Fleming, Nick Wright). Maguire Nicholson scored the Eagles first goal.
Revelstoke Grizzlies (6) vs Merritt Centennials (2)
Grizzlies lead series 3-0
The Grizzlies have a commanding lead in their series over Merritt after Colton McLeod scored twice, including the winner, and Ryder Ponto made 28 saves. Daniel Wittenberg pocketed two assists. The Grizzlies went 2-for-3 on the power-play. Maxim Radmanovich (Dylan Kruchten) and Alex Cordero, on the power-play (1-for-5) scored for the Centennials. Andrew Krakora stopped 14 of 17 shots, and Mathis Perron saved 11 of 13 shots.
100 Mile House Wranglers (1) vs Williams Lake Mustangs (3)
Mustangs lead series 2-1
Asher Lucas scored twice, including the winner (Kaelen Swanson, Declan Pocock) on the power-play (1-for-3), against the Wranglers. Alex Jessey had a tremendous performance, making 46 saves, allowing a goal to Ethan Davey (Dawson Harden, Jaden Rusznak). The Wranglers went 0-for-4 on their power-play. Tyson Endall made 36 saves for the Wranglers.
Kamloops (4) vs Quesnel River Rush (3)
Storm lead series 3-0
Down 3-0, the Storm came back to defeat the River Rush and now have them on the verge of elimination. Brenner Fyfe finished with 42 saves and Ryan Larsen scored twice, including the winner (Logan Bates). Larsen also assisted on Luca D’Amore’s goal, while Bates had two assists. Kyan Gray stopped 33 for the River Rush, while Gage Parrell scored twice and Evan Murray collected three assists. Both teams went 1-for-6 on their power-play.
March 1/25
Creston Valley Thunder Cats (2) vs Kimberley Dynamiters (5)
Dynamiters lead series 2-0
Luke Davies (2) (Tristan Weill, Billy Kiray) scored the winner for the Dynamiters over the Thunder Cats to give them a 2-0 series lead. Jackson Murphy collected two assists for the Dynamiters, while Josh Hager wasn’t tested much, stopping 12 of 14 shots. The Dynamiters went 1-for-4 on the power-play. Daniel O’Handley and Liam Munro scored for the Thunder Cats, while Brendan Smith made 24 saves. Creston Valley went 0-for-1 on its power-play.
Columbia Valley Rockies (3) vs Fernie Ghostriders (2)
Rockies lead series 2-0
Special teams won Game 2 for the Rockies against the Ghostriders as Carter Velker netted the winner on the power-play with one second remaining in regulation. They went 2-for-3 on the power-play and got a short-handed goal by Teo Fath (Wyatt Wurtz). Wurtz collected two assists. Hunter Arntsen had another strong performance with 33 saves. Taylor Haggerty scored twice for the Ghostriders and Cooper Anderson made 29 saves. The Ghostriders went 1-for-3 on their power-play.
Castlegar Rebels (2) vs Grand Forks Border Bruins (5)
Border Bruins lead series 2-0
Keenan Holland scored twice, including the winner on the power-play for the Border Bruins against the Rebels. Jace Koole had two assists and Eric Kahl stopped 20 shots for the win. They went 1-for-5 on the power-play, while the Rebels were 1-for-8. Aidan Hicks and Brayden Vopat scored for the Rebels, who got a 35-save effort from Mason Hillier.
Nelson Leafs (2) vs Beaver Valley Nitehawks (3)
Nitehawks lead series 2-0
Roan Crowe (Jonas Bourchier, Hunter Hansen) netted the winner for the Nitehawks over the Leafs. Connor Stojan had a strong 36-save performance, while Hansen had three assists. The Nitehawks were 1-for-5 on the power-play, while the Leafs went 0-for-7, and now 0-for-13 in the series. Memfis Burgeson and Tyson Ziegler scored for the Leafs and Ryder Gregga made 40 saves, including 18 in the second period.
Sicamous Eagles (2) vs Princeton Posse (1)
Series tied at 1-1
Ashton Gallagher (Colton Fleming) scored the winner for the Eagles against the Posse to even the series. Reyd Langan opened the scoring on the power-play, which went 1-for-2. Gabe Bergeron was excellent making 43-saves, allowing a goal to Justice Loewen (Will Bell, Joshua Roy). Bergeron stopped 18 shots in the third period, as the Posse pressured and outshot the Eagles 19-9. The Posse went 0-for-3 on the power-play and Blake Sittler made 30 saves in the loss.
Merritt Centennials (0) vs Revelstoke Grizzlies (3)
Grizzlies lead series 2-0
Jake Phillips-Watts (Colton McLeod, Austin Wooley) scored the winner for the Grizzlies against the Cents. They secured the win with a pair of power-play goals by Daniel Wittenberg and Phillips-Watts’ second of the game, along with a 32-save shutout performance by Ryder Ponto. It is Ponto’s first KIJHL shutout. The Grizzlies went 2-for-6 on the power-play. Andrew Krakora stopped 27 shots for the Centennials. Their power-play went 0-for-5.
Williams Lake Mustangs (4) vs 100 Mile House Wranglers (3)
Series tied 1-1
Their lone power-play goal on four chances proved key for the Mustangs as Logan Hauk (Kaelan Swanson, JP Desabrais) netted the winner against the Wranglers. Alex Jessey made 42 saves to earn his first playoff win. Also scoring for the Mustangs were Noah Pears, Asher Lucas and Declan Pocock. Riley Langille led the Wranglers with two points and Drew Cadenhead played well, making 36 saves. The Wranglers went 1-for-6 on the power-play.
Quesnel River Rush (2) vs Kamloops (6)
Storm lead series 2-0
The Storm led 4-0 before the River Rush scored their first goal. Teghan Mullin (Noah Paulsen, Hayden Selin) scored the winner with Brenner Fyfe solid in goal, making 44 saves. The Storm went 2-for-9 on the power-play. Wyatt Ball and Lynden Donald-Gorman scored for the River Rush as Kyan Gray stopped 24 of 29 shots in 32:55 of action. Emerson Willis saved 20 of 21 shots. The River Rush went 0-for-3 on the power-play.
Feb. 28/25
Creston Valley Thunder Cats (0) vs Kimberley Dynamiters (6)
Dynamiters lead series 1-0
Nate Tillmanns (Nolan Kelly, Tristan Weill) scored the winner for the Dynamiters on the power-play over the Thunder Cats in Game 1. Josh Hager had a light workload in goal, earning a 16-save shutout. The Dynamiters went 2-for-7 on the power-play and also got a short-handed goal by Nate Murdoch (Tyler Lindal). Billy Kiray led the Dynamiters with two goals. Brendan Smith made 24 saves for the Thunder Cats, who went 0-for-7 on their power-play.
Columbia Valley Rockies (5) vs Fernie Ghostriders (3)
Rockies lead series 1-0
The Rockies used their power-play (3-for-4) to power their way to victory over the Ghostriders, with Carter Velker (Noah Asmundson) scoring the winner. Hunter Arntsen had a solid performance with 41 saves and Asmundson collected two assists. Coden Fournier, Braeden Jack and Taylor Haggerty scored for the Ghostriders, while Nick Kunyk made 18 saves. The Ghostriders went 1-for-6 on the power-play.
Castlegar Rebels (2) vs Grand Forks Border Bruins (5)
Border Bruins lead series 1-0
The Border Bruins built a 5-0 lead to secure the opening game of their series with Adam Lee (Tyler Burke, Brandon Gray) scoring the winner, matching his goal output in 28 games. Jasper Tait made 20 saves for the Border Bruins to earn his first KIJHL playoff win. Alex Edwards led the Border Bruins with two goals and they went 1-for-2 on the man advantage. Jace Kramer and affiliate player Julian Knelson scored for the Rebels. Mason Hillier made eight saves on 12 shots in 31:39 of action. The Rebels went 0-for-4 on the power-play.
Nelson Leafs (0) vs Beaver Valley Nitehawks (3)
Nitehawks lead series 1-0
Connor Stojan earned a 26-save shutout and Boris Hristov (Brock Robertson, Owen Dickson) scored the winner against the Leafs on the power-play, which went 2-for-6. Ryder Gregga stopped 26 for the Leafs. The Leafs went 0-for-6 on their power-play.
Sicamous Eagles (0) vs Princeton Posse (3)
Posse lead series 1-0
Blake Sittler earned a 23-save shutout for the Posse, with Jackson Gush (Jalen McRae, Jace Shuttleworth) scoring the winner. The Posse went 2-for-8 on the power-play. Gabe Bergeron made 37 saves and the Eagles went 0-for-4 on their power-play.
Merritt Centennials (3) vs Revelstoke Grizzlies (4)
Grizzlies lead series 1-0
The Grizzlies used a four-goal second period to secure Game 1 against the Centennials. Trailing 2-0, the Grizzlies’ eventual winner was scored by Keiran Keilly (Nathan White). Ryder Ponto made 26 saves for the win, White led with three assists and the Grizzlies went 2-for-6 on their power-play. Cohen Poulin led the Centennials with two goals, while Andrew Krakora made 37 saves. The Centennials went 1-for-5 on their power-play.
Williams Lake Mustangs (1) vs 100 Mile House Wranglers (2)
Wranglers lead series 1-0
Jaden Rusznak (Diego Cazac, Nash Hilworth) scored the winner for the Wranglers against the Mustangs. Drew Cadenhead was excellent in goal for the Wranglers making 39 saves. His counterpart Alex Jessey also had a strong performance, making 43 saves. Asher Lucas (JP Desabrais) scored for the Wranglers on the power-play (1-for-7). The Wranglers went 0-for-4 on their man advantage.
Quesnel River Rush (1) vs Kamloops (4)
Storm lead series 1-0
Luca D’Amore led the Storm with two goals, including the winner, against the River Rush. D’Amore also added an assist on Noah Paulsen’s power-play goal (1-for-4). Brenner Fyfe was strong in goal for the Storm, making 29 saves. Gage Parrell (Lynden Donald-Gorman) scored for the River Rush, while Kyan Gray made 27 saves. The River Rush went 0-for-3 on the power-play.
