A round-up of junior hockey teams in the Okanagan.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
The Kelowna Rockets are enjoying a rare weekend off.
Kelowna’s last game was Wednesday evening, a 4-2 road win in Prince George. The Rockets’ next game won’t be until Tuesday night, the first of back-to-back games in Victoria against the Royals. The second game is Wednesday night.
Following those two matches, Kelowna will host Prince George on Friday, Nov. 1, the first of three consecutive home games for the Rockets.
In B.C. Division standings, Kamloops (9-4-0-0) is first with 18 points, while Kelowna (7-4-1-0) is second with 15 games, though the Rockets have a game in hand over the Blazers. Vancouver (7-8-0-0) is third with 15 points, with Victoria (4-5-1-0) in fourth and Prince George (3-8-0-1) last.
B.C. HOCKEY LEAGUE
There’s a race underway in the Interior Division, with Salmon Arm and Penticton starting to run away from the pack.
Heading into Saturday’s action, Salmon Arm is not only leading the division with 29 points, but is also the league’s top team. Not far behind, though, with 25 points is Penticton, which has two games in hand on the Silverbacks.
The Vees play Saturday and Sunday, while the Silverbacks also play Saturday.
The Vees and Silverbacks will clash in back-to-back games next month, Nov. 13 in Salmon Arm, then Nov. 15 in Penticton.
The two teams met on Oct. 16 in Salmon Arm, with the Silverbacks defeating the Vees 5-2.
Vernon 5, Powell River 3
At Powell River, Ben Helgeson scored twice for Vernon as the Vipers downed the Kings.
Cameron MacDonald, Logan Cash and Connor Sleeth also scored for Vernon (9-6-0-0), which opened the scoring early but had to settle for 1-1 and 2-2 ties at the period breaks.
In the third, though, the Vipers pulled away late, scoring three unanswered goals for the win.
MacDonald scored just 25 seconds into the match to make it 1-0, with Helgeson making it 2-1 at 12:16 of the second. In the third, Powell River went up 3-2 at 7:11, but Helgeson levelled the score with his second of the night at 7:35. Cash made it 4-3 at 9:00 with Sleeth rounding out the scoring at 12:05.
Levi Glasman, Dawson McKay and PJ Garrett replied for Powell River (8-11-0-0).
Reilly Herbst stopped 24 of 27 shots for the Vipers, with Derek Krall stopping 28 of 33 shots for the Kings.
Vernon was 1-for-5 on the power play while Powell River was 0-for-5.
Trail 4, West Kelowna 3 (SO)
At West Kelowna, Owen Ozar scored the only shootout goal as the Smoke Eaters edged the Warriors.
Kent Johnson, with two goals, and Philippe Lapointe scored in regulation time for Trail (10-6-2-0), which led 3-2 after a goal-filled first period.
Trevor Adams and Max Bulawka, with markers in the first period, and Brandon Dent, who tied the game at 3-3 at 6:16 of the third, replied for West Kelowna (4-11-3-2).
Following a scoreless overtime session, the shootout went just one round. Ozar was Trail’s only goal scorer, while West Kelowna went 0-for-3.
Logan Terness stopped 28 of 31 shots for the Smokies, with Brock Baier turning aside 32 of 35 shots for the Warriors.
Both teams were 0-for-5 on the power play.
Salmon Arm 8, Wenatchee 5
At Wenatchee, the Silverbacks rolled to four goals in the first period in outgunning the Wild.
Daniel Rybarik, with two goals, Nick Unruh, Nick Martino, Logan Shaw, Coalson Wolford, Domenic Garozzo and Hunter Sansbury scored for Salmon Arm (14-3-1-0), which led 4-1 and 7-5 at the breaks.
In the first, after Wenatchee opened the scoring at 2:38, Unruh, Martino, Shaw and Rybarik all scored in a three-minute span, between 13:21 and 15:15.
In the second, the two teams combined for seven goals, with Wenatchee outscoring Salmon Arm 4-3. The Silverbacks, though, led 7-5 after 40 minutes. Rybarik closed out the scoring at 16:29 of the third.
Brian Adams, Luke Ormsby, Hunter Hastings, Nick Cafarelli and Brett Chorske replied for Wenatchee (9-6-1-1).
Ethan Langenegger stopped 26 of 31 shots for the Silverbacks, with Noah Altman stopping 25 of 32 shots for the Wild.
Saturday’s games
- Vernon (9-6-0-0) at Alberni Valley (10-8-0-0), 7 p.m.
- Penticton (12-3-1-0) at Chilliwack (9-5-2-1), 7 p.m.
- West Kelowna (4-11-3-2) at Trail (10-6-2-0), 7 p.m.
- Salmon Arm (14-3-1-0) at Wenatchee (9-6-1-1), 7 p.m.
KOOTENAY INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Friday’s results
- Grand Forks 6, Columbia Valley 5
- Kelowna 5, Sicamous 1
- Nelson 3, Beaver Valley 1
- Revelstoke 4, Summerland 3
- Creston Valley 5, Princeton 3
- North Okanagan 3, Osoyoos 2
Saturday’s games
- Princeton (3-7-0-0-2) at Columbia Valley (5-6-0-0-0), 6 p.m.
- Grand Forks (6-6-0-0-1) at Golden (5-6-1-0-0), 6:30 p.m.
- Osoyoos (0-11-0-0-2) at Sicamous (7-7-0-0-0), 7 p.m.
- Chase (6-5-0-0-1) at Kamloops (4-9-0-0-1), 7 p.m.
- Kimberley (11-1-0-0-1) at Revelstoke (9-1-0-0-2), 7 p.m.
- Spokane (9-6-0-0-1) at Kelowna (10-1-0-0-0), 7 p.m.
- Summerland (6-7-0-0-2) at North Okanagan (5-8-0-0-1), 7:30 p.m.
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