Tonight there are two important Game 5s being played – the Grand Forks Border Bruins are in Beaver Valley, and the North Okanagan Knights visit the Princeton Posse.
Heading into tonight, Knights rookies Nolan Kelly and Gage Parrell are 1-2 in points – Kelly has 19 points in eight games, while Parrell has 15. Border Bruins defenceman Russell Kosec leads all blueliners with nine points in nine games. In goal, Jozef Kuchaslo of the Revelstoke Grizzlies leads netminders with seven wins to go with a 1.98 goals against average and a .936 save percentage.
Now into this week’s KIJHL Notebook, which highlights team leaders in their respective series.
Eddie Mountain Division
Coden Fournier leads the Fernie Ghostriders with three goals and five points in their series against the Columbia Valley Rockies. Kyler Watson and Cole Fournier are right behind with four points, and defenceman Kaden Slobodian has two points. In their 5-1 loss to the Rockies on Thursday, Landon Hedges scored his first goal of the Teck Cup playoffs.
Nick Kunyk has had great performances in his three games, winning them while posting a 1.72 GAA and a .942 SP. Kunyk, who earned his first career Teck Cup playoff win against the Creston Valley Thunder Cats in the first round, has been counted on more in the second round. His netminding partner Levi Hall has an .889 SP. against the Rockies.
Kyran Gromnisky had a two-point performance for the Rockies in their 5-1 win over the Ghostriders Thursday, forcing a Game 6. Gromnisky scored the winner short-handed and now leads the team with five points in as many games. Gromnisky and Teo Fath each have three goals in the series. Nate Glenn has played in all the games and has a 2.76 GAA with a .927 SP.
Neil Murdoch Division
Ollie Clement leads the Beaver Valley Nitehawks’ balanced offensive attack with four points in four games against the Border Bruins. Clement and Adam Redding each have two goals, while defenceman Kaleb Percival and Lohgan Nimmo have three points in four games. Nimmo scored his first of the series in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss. Goalie Connor Stojan has allowed six goals for a .947 SP and a 1.50 GAA. He had a 29-save shutout in Game 3.
Ethan Shebansky has posted a 2.84 GAA and a .922 SP for the Border Bruins against the Nitehawks. He made 37 saves in their 3-2 win on Wednesday. Defenceman Russell Kosec, Ben Edwards and forward JP Desabrais lead with two points each, and six players have scored against the Nitehawks. Keanan Pearman recorded his first KIJHL Teck Cup playoff goal, a winner on Wednesday.
Doug Birks Division
The Revelstoke Grizzlies earned their second straight series sweep, this time against the Kamloops Storm. They were led by Ethan Coventry and Daniel Wittenberg, who had eight points each. Coventry had seven goals.
Goalie Jozef Kuchaslo stopped 110 of 119 shots for a .924 SP and a 2.21 goals against average.
On special teams, the Grizzlies power play went 3-for-15, while the penalty-kill was 14-for-15.
Bill Ohlhausen Division
The Princeton Posse have used Blake Sittler and Joey Hawco in goal, though Sittler has played three of the four games against the Knights sporting a .919 SP and a 2.34 GAA.
During the first round of the playoffs, Posse Head Coach-GM Mark Readman talked about the importance of using both and the easy choice it was because of their quality play.
“I think it has been important to use both as it is their first junior hockey playoff experience and riding those ups and downs can be different than the regular season,” he says. “If we are fortunate enough to go on a deep postseason run, we will most certainly need both goalies to get the job done.”
Nolan Kelly leads the Knights with eight points in the series, including a team high six assists, while Devin Jameson has three goals, and Kelly, Gage Parrell, Colton Fleming and Cash Anderson each have two goals.
Goalie Josh Hager has played all the games and has a .921 SP with a 3.19 GAA.
Knights Head Coach-GM Liam McOnie says that their success in the series has come from trusting their system and “sticking to the style we want to play.”
“Special teams has been important as well,” said McOnie, whose team had a 13-6-2-1 record in the final half of the regular season. “To get the next win, we will have to be a little more disciplined, and keep playing a simple brand of hockey.”
