It’s the Battle of the Okanagan in the first round of the BCHL playoffs, and it is shaping up to be a good one.
Finishing just two points apart in the final regular season standings, the West Kelowna Warriors (28-20-6-0) will hold a home ice advantage over the Vernon Vipers (27-21-2-4) to kick off the postseason.
Though this run to the Fred Page Cup is fresh, the playoff history between these two squads runs deep - it is the second consecutive year that the Warriors and Vipers are meeting in the first round, with West Kelowna winning four straight last season to take the series in five games.
All in all, this will be the fifth meeting in the playoffs between the two rivals, with Vernon winning all other three.
Both teams were hot down the final stretch, with West Kelowna pummeling the Merritt Centennials 14-0 on March 24 and edging out the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in a shootout the following day to clinch third spot in the Interior Conference.
Vernon won six of their last seven games to take sixth place and best the Wenatchee Wild by one point in the standings.
The series schedule is as follows (* if necessary):
- Game #1: Friday, March 31st @ Royal LePage Place (7:00 PM);
- Game #2: Saturday, April 1st @ Royal LePage Place (7:00 PM);
- Game #3: Tuesday, April 4th @ Kal Tire Place (7:00 PM);
- Game #4: Wednesday, April 5th @ Kal Tire Place (7:00 PM);
- *Game #5: Friday, April 7th @ Royal LePage Place (7:00 PM);
- *Game #6: Sunday, April 9th @ Kal Tire Place (5:00 PM);
- *Game #7: Tuesday, April 11th @ Royal LePage Place (7:00 PM).
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