Three teams from the South Okanagan Minor Hockey Association (SOMHA) are heading to provincials.
Rep teams from the Midget, Bantam and Peewee Divisions all captured SOMHA titles, and continued their winning ways at the next level, with all three claiming Okanagan Mainline Minor Hockey Association (OMAHA) championships.
Over the weekend, the Peewee Rep Junior Coyotes claimed a spot in the provincials after completing a two-game sweep of Merritt in the Best of 3 Series.
After beating Merritt 3-1 Feb. 22 in Osoyoos, the South Okanagan rep team completed the sweep with a 4-3 victory in Merritt this past Saturday.
Tyler Badger played outstanding, scoring a hat trick in the win, while Kyton MacFadden had the other goal. Colby Dynneson was in net for the win.
“It was an awesome game, super tight. We knew going in it would be tough to close out series in their building. And Merritt came out flying. We scored first and set the tone, but they kept coming back to tie. They had us on our heels the last seven-to-eight minutes trying to get the tying goal,” recalled head coach Gord Dynneson. “Colby held us in the game, and made a lot of point blank saves. One of his key saves came off a slap shot, a one-timer late in the game. He came across with a glove save. It was the turning point, If they would have scored on that one, it would have shifted momentum. It was a solid effort by our guys.”
And now, the South Okanagan Peewee Coyotes are heading to Kitimat for the provincial championships.
“Right from tryouts, there was no way in heck we thought as a coaching staff we could make a run. But the guys worked hard and kept believing in themselves. We have a 20-1-1 record overall, which is mind-blowing, “ added Dynneson, excited about what lies ahead. “We are going to provincials. I think we have a shot of finishing in top four or five. Burnaby Winter Club looks good. But, we are going to give everybody a run. It’s going to be a great experience for the boys for sure.”
Also this past weekend, the South Okanagan Midget team beat Kelowna to sweep their Best of 3 OMAHA final series. South Okanagan opened the series with a 6-3 victory at SunBowl Arena Feb. 21, and finished off Kelowna this past weekend.
Josh Windley led the way with three goals and Bailey Shaw follow up with two goals. Levi Harris was able to add a single tally in the 6-4 clincher Saturday.
“We had a tough battle to win game two and the OMAHA Tier 3 League Playoffs to clinch our berth in the BC Hockey Tier 3 Provincials in Dawson Creek. We had a strong first period going into the locker room with a 3-1 lead. However, we lost momentum in the second when we had an early goal called back and Kelowna came back and scored three unanswered goals, including the go-ahead goal with just five seconds left in the second period,” explained Midget head coach Ryan Miller. “However, our South Okanagan team came out and returned to our game plan. We were able to score an early third period power play goal. We then pulled ahead after the 10-minute mark and were able to secure our win with an empty net goal late in the third.
Now, the Midget team will compete in Provincials in Dawson Creek.
“We are excited to be a part of a winning season with the Bantams and Peewee SOMHA Rep teams. We feel that our season has steadily seen positive growth in our ability to play as a team and build a strong, unified team culture,”added Miller. “We are peaking at the right point in our season. We will be considered a competitive team at Provincials this year.”
The South Okanagan Bantam rep team had already qualified for provincials in Port Hardy after knocking off Winfield in two-straight games.
SOMHA Rep teams to hold fundraisers this weekend to help with provincials trip.
There will be a dance Friday, March 6 at the Sonora Centre. Tickets are $20 per person. A live band – Dave’s Not Here – will entertain, and there will be a midnight buffet and door prizes. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. A SOMHA Player Auction will take place at 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday, SOMHA players will be bagging groceries at local supermarkets. Also on Saturday, Sage Pub will host a burger and beer fundraiser to support the three local hockey teams heading to provincials.
Dale Cory
Oliver Chronicle
