UPDATE: Okanagan sweeps Kootenay Wildcats out of playoffs
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The hockey season for the Kootenay Wildcats came to an end Saturday in the Central Okanagan.
The B.C. Female Midget AAA Hockey squad lost 5-2 to Okanagan Rockets in semi final playoff action Saturday in Kelowna at the Capital News Centre.
The Rockets won the best-of-three series 2-0 and now advance to the league final next week in Surrey against the Fraser Valley Fusion.
Okanagan won the opening game of the series 2-1 Friday.
The Fusion dispatched the Pacific Ravens of Richmond 2-0 in the best-of-three series.
Kootenay finished third in the five-team BCFML with a 9-14-5 record.
The B.C. Female league was created in 2007 to provide players in the province the opportunity to come together on zone teams to challenge other clubs in the B.C.
Kootenay Wildcats consists of players from both the East and West Kootenays.
Cats drop close 2-1 decision in semi final to Okanagan
Once again scoring, or a lack of putting the puck into the net, raised its ugly head on the Kootenay Wildcats during Game one of the B.C. Female Midget AAA Hockey semi final series in Kelowna.
Host Okanagan Rockets squeaked out a 2-1 victory to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
Game two is Saturday in Kelowna with Game three, if necessary, Sunday.
Cats begin playoff mission Friday in Kelowna against Rockets
The Kootenay Wildcats take to the road Friday for the sunny Okanagan to start the run at the B.C. Female Midget AAA Hockey title.
The Cats open the playoffs against second-place Okanagan Rockets at the Rutland West Arena in Kelowna.
The best-of-three series continues Saturday with a third game, if necessary, played Sunday morning. Both games are at the Capital News Centre.
“We going in to win the series,” said Kootenay captain Erin McLean when asked about the upcoming playoff.
“We’ve done pretty good against the Rockets, winning about half of the games so we feel we can win this series and move on in the playoffs.”
The Wildcats, 9-15-4, finished the season third, 11 points behind the runner-up Rockets. Kootenay is led by its two netminders Lauren Biggs of Salmo and Morgan Flynn of Castlegar.
The two goalies have been outstanding throughout the season, keeping the Cats in every game and time to get an anemic offence going.
Trail’s McLean led the offence this season with 12 points while Denomie Vockeroth of Rossland added 11 points and Adrianne Erichsen of Cranbrook, Cori-Anne Huisman of Fernie and Stephane McAuley of Trail each had 10.
In the other series, Pacific Ravens of Richmond rallied from a one-game deficit to defeat Prince George Cougars 2-1 in the best-of-three quarterfinal game.
Richmond advances to a semi final affair against regular season champ Fraser Valley Fusion beginning Friday in Surrey at the Sport and Leisure Centre.
Games two and three, if necessary, will be played at Langley at the Event Centre Saturday and Sunday.
The two series winners play for the league championship the following week at the team with the best regular season record.
