In top photo, Brandon Dellapaolera fires off a shot that scored the third period goal for the Bantam Rep team against the North Kamloops Lions in the semi-final game at Sun Bowl Arena on February 7. South Okanagan won this game 4-0. Below, a Bantam player eyes a mid-air puck behind the net against the Lions. Bottom photo shows South Okanagan Midget action against the Westside Warriors.
Lyonel Doherty photos
They were all league champions.
And now, the South Okanagan Minor Hockey Association rep teams in the Midget, Bantam and Peewee Divisions have continued their winning ways in the Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association playoffs.
All three teams were winners over the weekend, with one team already advancing to the OMAHA final series.
In the Peewee Division, the Junior Coyotes, fresh off a two game sweep of Salmon Arm in the first round which saw them outscore their opponent 19-1, opened the second round of the playoffs with an easy 5-0 victory over Winfield Sunday in Osoyoos.
The teams will meet back in Winfield Saturday, Feb. 14th in the second game of the Best of 3 series. If necessary, the third game goes Sunday, Feb. 15th back in Osoyoos.
In the Bantam Division, South Okanagan has advanced to the next round of the OMAHA playoffs.
South Okanagan opened its second round playoff series with a 4-0 shutout of Kamloops Saturday at Sun Bowl Arena.
German Barhona earned the shutout, Levi Holz scored a pair of goals, while Jack Fortune and Brandon Della Paolera added one each.
“The kids played a good game,” said head coach Brock Anderson. “They really worked hard and deserved the victory.”
South Okanagan then wrapped up the series with a 4-3 overtime win in Kamloops Sunday.
“We started the game very slow and sluggish, and got into penalty trouble through out the game, which didn’t help us,” offered Anderson when assessing his team’s play. “And Kamloops battled hard as it was do or die for them.”
South Okanagan trailed in the third period, but tied the game up with a late tally from Justin Davis. Overtime produced back and forth hockey with Della Paolera scoring the overtime winner five minutes into the first overtime period.
Jacob Vautour and Seth Kriese scored the other South Okanagan goals.
“Kamloops is a good team that works hard and our boys knew if we didn’t show up to play, and went off the game plan, we wouldn’t succeed,” added Anderson. “Our boys are excited about getting out of the second round but know we need to keep working hard and improving if we want to make it through the next round.”
South Okanagan now has a date in the OMAHA championship series, and will face either either Kelowna or Winfield.
In the Midget Division, South Okanagan captured the opening game in its Best of 3 Series with a 4-3 win over West Kelowna Saturday in Osoyoos.
“Our team had a very strong first period playing, most of the 20 minutes in West Kelowna’s end,” said South Okanagan head coach Ryan Miller. “We used a strong forecheck to end the first period with a 2-0 lead.”
Josh Windley opened the scoring for South Okanagan with a power play goal, and the second goal game from Levi Harris.
West Kelowna was more determined in the second and third period. A second-period tally from Keenan Holz gave South Okanagan a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes, but West Kelowna tied the game up with less then five minutes remaining in the third to send it into overtime.
“We played 10 minutes of sudden death at the end of the third. Then we had an ice clean and went into a second over time period of 20, which was still sudden death. Levi Harris netted his second goal of the game half way through the second overtime to give us the win,” added Miller. “Tristan Baptiste-Hall played goal and made many key saves, especially at the end of the third and in the first overtime period to shut down West Kelowna and help win back the momentum of the game to back stop us to our first playoff win. Our boys did a great job to rally back after losing the momentum of the game during the second period. They stayed positive and kept on playing as a team unit to persevere and come out on top in a tough fought game.
The teams meet again Saturday, Feb. 15th in West Kelowna, with Game 3 set for Sunday, Feb. 15th in Osoyoos at 1 p.m.
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- Lyonel Doherty photos
Dale Cory
Oliver Chronicle
