The top team in the KIJHL Doug Birks Division are now trying their hands at the Okanagan/Shuswap conference title.
Round two of the playoffs came to an end last week for the Sicamous Eagles when they beat the Kamloops Storm 4-2 in game seven. The come-from-behind win, with goals from Connor Buick, Brendan Devries, Jagger Bowles and Brendon Wilde, earned Sicamous the championship banner in the Doug Birks Division. Now the team is doing battle against the Kelowna Chiefs for the Okanagan/Shuswap. So far, the going has been uphill, with the Chiefs claiming victories in the three games played so far.
The Chiefs appeared to have the luck of the Irish in game one, held on St. Patrick’s Day at the Rutland Arena. They dominated play and pulled off a 7-4 win. Two Sicamous markers came in the first period from Buick and Corbin Marcotte. The Eagles took advantage of a power play in the second frame, giving Devries an opportunity to find the back of the net, tying the score at 3-3 going into the third. But in the third frame, the Chiefs came back hard, and Sicamous could only add one more goal, courtesy of Buick, who was named the game’s third star.
Game two saw fewer penalties from both teams, but also fewer goals from Sicamous – only one in fact, from Matt Reed, late in the first frame. Meanwhile, the Chiefs potted three in the first period and three in the second, taking the game 6-1.
The playoffs returned to Sicamous Tuesday night and the team improved their game substantially, suffering a narrow 5-4 defeat.
Jagger Bowles was first on the board with an early marker delivered on a power play, aided by Buick and Wilde. The Chiefs replied second later with their first goal. Two minutes on, Connor Fynn potted one off of Bowles and Buick, giving Sicamous a 3-2 lead going into the second frame.
The Chiefs added three more in the second frame while Bowles was able to put in one for Sicamous, unassisted. Bowles was also responsible for Sicamous' final goal of the evening, delivered in the last two minutes of the third period, assisted by Wilde and Fynn. Bowles was named first star for the game.
Game four is tonight at 7 p.m. at the Sicamous and District Recreation Centre.