Teck Cup playoffs – Grizzlies win Okanagan-Shuswap Conference

The Grizzlies are headed to the KIJHL Teck Cup Final after defeating the Princeton Posse 6-3 in Game 7 at the Princeton & District Arena. Alexander Bronswyk netted the eventual winner 1:23 into the third period as he was able to put away a ricochet off the boards behind a sprawled Blake Sittler (21 saves) who found himself out of position from the initial missed shot. Grizzlies goalie Jozef Kuchaslo was named the first star thanks to a 28-save performance, while Ethan Coventry led with two goals and Luke Aston had a goal and three points. Matthew Langdon of the Posse was named the second star as he scored a highlight reel goal going coast-to-coast and assisted on Jonathan Ward’s goal to make the score 4-3. Dayton Nelson scored the other Posse goal.

The Ghostriders defeated the Beaver Valley Nitehawks 4-0 to clinch the championship in six games. Kyler Watson opened the scoring in the second period with his fifth goal set up by Riley Enns. He also scored and assisted on Watson’s second of the game into an empty net. Coden Fournier scored the insurance goal with his sixth goal and added an assist. Nick Kunyk earned his first KIJHL Teck Cup playoff shutout with a 26-save performance. Connor Stojan made 29 saves for the Nitehawks.

This time it was Matthew Langdon being the overtime hero for the Posse scoring his fifth goal to give them a 4-3 win with 5:11 remaining. After a scoreless opening period, the teams traded goals in the second, going into the third period tied 2-2. Jaylen Forsyth put the Grizzlies back ahead with his second goal at 3:17. Ty Russell tied the game with his fifth, set up by Anmol Garcha and Lucas Sadownyk. Garcha led the Posse with a two-point night and Vinay Junek now has 11 goals for the Posse. Blake Sittler made 28 saves for the win, while Jozef Kuchaslo made 36 saves for the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies scored two of their goals on four power-play opportunities – Luke Aston (three) and Ethan Coventry (11) scoring. 

Grady Sterling-Ponech snuck one by Grizzlies goalie Jozef Kuchaslo (47 saves) to keep the Posse’s playoff hopes alive when he scored with 3:39 remaining in the second overtime period at the Princeton & District Arena. For a third straight game, the Posse surrendered a 2-0 lead to the Grizzlies, who fought back in with a pair of power-play goals by Mikkel Hrechka (three) and Daniel Wittenberg (five). Posse goalie Blake Sittler finished with 55 saves, including 24 in overtime. Vinay Junek popped in his 10th goal to open the scoring midway through the second period and Tyson Horiachka netted his ninth. The Posse went 0-for-5 on the power-play. 

Ollie Clement scored first, 23 seconds into the game with his fifth goal, and Adam Redding last for the Nitehawks with his seventh in a 3-2 win. The Nitehawks pulled ahead 2-1 on a penalty-shot goal by Nathan Simm (four). Eli Neilsen (two) and Kaden Slobodian (five) countered for the Ghostriders. Nitehawks goalie Connor Stojan made 35 saves, while Nick Kunyk made 30. The Ghostriders went 1-for-6 on the power-play and the Nitehawks were 0-for-5.

Overtime was needed again to decide a winner, and this time the 3-2 final was in the Nitehawks’ favour. Kaleb Percival scored with a great shot on the power-play, their second of the game on five opportunities. Lohgan Nimmo forced overtime with his second of the playoffs coming on the power-play. After Tim Josza (six) opened the scoring for the Nitehawks, the Ghostriders struck back with goals by Hudson Scrimshaw (two) and Kyler Watson (four). Nitehawks goalie Connor Stojan finished with 41 saves, while Levi Hall made 34.

Two times in a row, the Posse led 2-0. And two times in a row, the Grizzlies have come back to win. This time 4-2 with Luke Aston sniping the winner with his second of the Teck Cup playoffs. Like Game 3, Daniel Wittenberg (four) scored on the power-play to start the comeback with Austin Wooley (two) tying the game at 2-2 with a shot that beat Blake Sittler (42 saves) over his shoulder. Alexander Bronswyk iced the game with his fifth of the playoffs. Josh Roy (first) and Bryton Morrow (eight) scored for the Posse. Grizzlies goalie Jozef Kuchaslo saved 31 shots.

Cole Fournier’s fifth goal of the Teck Cup playoffs has the Ghostriders within a game of advancing to the KIJHL Teck Cup championship. Fournier scored the 3-2 overtime-winner at 8:18. Fournier also assisted on Landon Hedges fifth goal tying the game at two. Dayden Collier opened the scoring, while the Nitehawks got goals from Adam Redding (six) and Ethan Smyth (three), on the power-play. Nick Kunyk stopped 30 shots for the Ghostriders, while Connor Stojan made 36 saves, including one on a penalty shot.

Trailing 2-0 after two, the Grizzlies fought back with four straight goals to earn a 4-3 win over the Posse. Defenceman Mikkel Hrechka scored the winner with his second of the playoffs, and helped cue the comeback by setting up Daniel Wittenberg for his third goal, on the power-play. Nathan White’s third goal, also on the man-advantage, tied the game at 2-2. The Grizzlies secured the win with Brady Schwab’s shorthanded empty-netter. The Posse built a 2-0 lead on goals by Anmol Garcha (five) and Bryton Morrow (seven). Vinay Junek (nine) scored a late power-play goal to make it 4-3. The Grizzlies power-play went 2-for-5, while the Posse were 1-for-6. Jozef Kuchaslo made 31 saves in the win, while Blake Sittler made 34.

Ben Skarsen and Taylor Haggerty were factors for the Ghostriders in their win over the Nitehawks, each tallying two goals and two assists. Skarsen’s pivotal second assist set up Eli Nielsen’s first goal of the KIJHL Teck Cup playoffs, giving them a 5-0 lead. Haggerty setup Skarsen’s early goals, and scored as well, establishing a commanding 3-0 lead by the end of the first period.

Landon Hedges collected three assists, while Levi Hall stood tall in goal, saving 40 shots, including all 18 he faced from the Nitehawks in the opening period.

Lohgan Nimmo, Tim Josza, Lucas Gartner (shorthanded), and Nathan Simm, countered for the Nitehawks. Gartner and Simm scored in the final three minutes of regulation after Josza scored with 3:30 minutes remaining in the second period ended. Connor Stojan stopped five of eight shots, then was relieved by Landan Uzeloc in goal, and he made 21 saves on 24 shots. The Ghostriders went 2-for-4 on the power-play.

Anmol Garcha got the ball rolling for the Posse, putting them on the scoreboard with his fourth goal. However, the Grizzlies countered with three consecutive goals, courtesy of Brady Schwab (five) and Alexander Bronswyk, who netted two goals, including the winner on the power-play. Jonathan Ward narrowed the gap to 3-2 with his fourth goal, but the Grizzlies’ Colton McLeod sealed the win with his fifth of the playoffs.

Jozef Kuchaslo stood firm in the Grizzlies’ net, making 29 saves, while Blake Sittler made 27. The Grizzlies capitalized on the power-play twice on five attempts.

Cole Fournier scored twice, including the winner, as the Ghostriders opened the Kootenay Conference Final with a victory over the Nitehawks. Ben Skarsen (3) opened the scoring for the Ghostriders, then Fournier scored his second and third goals in the second period. Boris Hristov (6) scored both Nitehawks goals. Nick Kunyk stopped 40 shots for the win, while Connor Stojan saved 25. Power-plays for both teams didn’t capitalize.

Tyson Horiachka was a force for the Posse in their win over the Grizzlies. The Sherwood Park, Alta., product was in on all their goals, opening the scoring on a penalty shot, then tying the game at 2-2. In overtime, he set up Ty Russell’s winner 14 seconds into the period. Joey Hawco made 30 saves for the win, while Jozef Kuchalso saved 36 in his first loss of the playoffs. Nicholas Buckley (1) and Jake Neufeld (5) scored for the Grizzlies.