Next round of KIJHL playoffs begin Tuesday, Rebels meet Beaver Valley in Hawks' Nest
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The final eight teams in the hunt for the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League Championship have been determined after Sicamous and Princeton won their respective game sevens Sunday.
Locally, West Kootenay hockey fans have waited all season and now they have their feast as Murdoch winning Beaver Valley hosts rival Castlegar in the divisional final beginning Tuesday in the Hawks’ Nest.
Game two is Wednesday, also in Fruitvale, before the series shifts to the Sunflower City for games three and four, Friday and Saturday.
In the Eddie Mountain Division, the top two teams, Fernie and Kimberley, also open Tuesday in Ghostrider Country.
Game two is also in Fernie before the series shifts to the Bavarian City for games three and four, Friday and Saturday.
In the Okanagan Conference, Sicamous Eagles advance to the next round after knocking off Revelstoke Grizzlies in seven games with a 4-0 shutout Sunday.
The game was rescheduled to Sunday after road closure of the Trans Canada Highway forced a cancellation of Saturday’s original date.
The Eagles now face the Kamloops Storm. No dates have been announced but the series opens in Spoolmak Country.
In the other series, Princeton booked its ticket to the next round after outlasting a pesky Penticton Laker squad 5-2 Sunday.
The Posse meets surprise winner, Kelowna Chiefs after the Central Okanagan squad eliminated defending KIJHL champion Osoyoos Coyotes.
The series opens Tuesday in Princeton.
The series winners meet for the Conference Finals with the champs advancing to the KIJHL Final.
The league champ represents the KIJHL in the Cyclone Taylor Cup, April 11-14 in Abbotsford.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
