The regular season champion Lumby Tirecraft/Village of Lumby Midget Stars opened the North Okanagan Super League hockey playoffs with a pair of wins.
Landen Harison scored twice as the Stars beat the Vernon Corbett Office Plus Storm 4-1. Dakota Becker and Michael Pusey added the other goals for Lumby in support of a solid Eric Foufoulas in goal.
Elias Wery drew an assist for the Stars, who got solid defensive play from Ryan Vandersande, Braydie Allan, Becker and Wery behind strong offensive lines of Matthew Yaremcio, Vanessa Yaremcio, Tage Kineshanko, Emily Romailler, Harison, Pusey, Noah Clarke and Conner Seehaver.
Super League scoring champioon Jaden Steinke replied for the Storm.
On home ice Sunday, the Stars edged Salmon Arm 3-2. Harison got the winner with 10 minutes left in regulation time.
Matthew Yaremcio opened the scoring, set up by Clarke and Becker, and Kineshanko made it 2-1 home team at 9:09 of the second period, assisted by Clarke and Allan.
The Storm rebounded Sunday in Sicamous with a 9-7 win over Salmon Arm. Steinke had 4+1, Lochlan O’Keefe chipped in 2+1, while defenceman Jacot Wetlauffer and rugged former goalie-turned-winger Dalton Stenberg each had 1+1. The prettiest storm goal came from Derek (Sweet Music) Pereboom. Craig Garnett was stellar in net for the Office crew, who continued their winning ways Monday with a 5-4 decision over Vernon Authentic Plaque and Trophy Hawks.
Third-period heroics came from Ben Reinhardt, who found the back of the net for the tying and winning goals late in the game. Goalie Nick Maglio held the fort for the final minute as the Hawks put the pressure on with the net empty.
O’Keefe (2) and Stenberg were the other Storm goal scorers while Hawks goals came from Chris Moore, Maisun Ang-Hamilton, Kaden Doughty and Sebastian Wenger.
The playoff championship game is slated for Monday night in Salmon Arm.
On the consolation side, Vernon Talon Benefits Eagles won twice. The Eagles got two goals from Jaxxon Collard and singles from Sapion Joe and Nic Magerl in a 4-1 win over the Nedco Lakers. Chris Aldrich replied for Nedco.
Magerl and Zach Laranjo each scored twice as Talon Benefits blasted the North Okanagan Knights 10-1. Robyn Alexis, Evan Winther, Collard, Joe, Hayden Varden and Jaycen Lambert added singles.
Clayton Thielman replied for the Knights.
Bantam
The Lumby Stars, sponsored by Great West Equipment and Green Velvet Tree and Lawn Care, defeated Salmon Arm #3 9-3 and Vernon Five Star Awards Rebels 7-4 to kick off their playoff schedule.
Linden Catt scored three times and added two assists for the Stars in the win over Salmon Arm, while Tye Krause had 2+3. Quintin O’Neill scored two beauties while singles went to Ryder Quibell and Kohl Van De Vliert. Kaleb Pachal, Zachary Young and Mia Maltman all picked up an assist. Ethan Keber earned the win in net.
In Vernon, Krause had 2+2, Van De Vliert scored twice, Zachary Young and O’Neill added 1+1 and Catt scored while falling in the win over the Rebels. Quibell, Peter Romailler and Pachal had assists. The Stars got outstanding passing from Andrew Rannelli and Emma Roine, and Domenik Porteous displayed a great, positve attitude on the bench. Connor Cecchini scored twice for the Rebels while Dylan Wapple and Cole Grevatt added singles.
The Rebels doubled North Okanagan Knights 4-2 and tied Salmon Arm Audits and Safety Services 3-3.
Grevatt scored twice against the Knights, his first coming at break-neck speed on a deke to the backhand, then snapped home his second from the slot on a pass from Cecchine. Ephren Potter-Cramer opened the scoring and Quinn Soon added the final marker for the Awards crew.
In Sicamous, Jakob Aeichele made 32 saves to secure a valuable point for the Rebels. Grevatt set up Dawson Twamley’s one-timer for Vernon’s first. Later, Grevatt drove the net, and Kayden Bowering followed to cash in the loose change. The tying goal came as Owen Swiscoski let off a cannon clapper from the point, tipped in neatly by Bowering.
The Stars hosted the North Okanagan Knights Thursday. Playoff games will be held at the Pat Duke Memorial Arena Saturday at 3:15 p.m. Semifinals go Sunday at 11:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. in Lumby.
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