Goals 47 seconds apart by Davis Bunz and Ben Fanjoy late in the second period were the difference for the Chilliwack Chiefs in a 3-1 road win over the Wenatchee Wild in Game 1 of the Mainland finals.
The game was scoreless until Bunz got his second of the postseason at 18:20 of the second and Fanjoy followed at 19:07 to put the visitors up a pair heading to the third. Jake Smith made it 3-0 Chiefs in the final frame.
Jasper Weatherby broke Mark Sinclair’s shutout bid with just over five minutes to go but the Wild couldn’t get any closer. Sinclair made 29 saves for the win and it was the first time this season the Wild were defeated in regulation time on home ice. Game 2 goes Saturday at 7:05 in Wenatchee.
In Victoria, Jonny Evans delivered the double-overtime winner for the Powell River Kings in a 3-2 win over the Grizzlies in Game 1 of the Island finals.
Jack Long opened the scoring for the Kings in the first and Lucas Clark tied it for Victoria late in the second on the power play. Long got his second of the night near the midway point of the third but exactly a minute later, Jamie Rome tied the game setting the stage for OT.
Evans’ winner came unassisted at 3:16 of the second overtime, his fifth goal of the postseason and third game-winner which leads playoff scorers. Brian Wilson made 48 saves for the win while Matthew Galajda stopped 56 for Victoria.
Darion Hanson made all 26 saves with Jimmy Lambert and Steven Jandric supplying the offence in a 2-0 Vernon Vipers home win over the Trail Smoke Eaters in Game 1 of the Interior semifinals. There were no goals until Lambert scored at 2:11 of the third and Jandric’s goal was an empty-netter that came with three seconds left. Linden Marshall made 34 saves for Trail. Game 2 goes Saturday at 7 p.m. in Vernon.
A pair of first-period goals from defencemen, with Gabe Bast and Griffin Mendel doing the honours, were enough for the Penticton Vees in a 4-1 home win over the Merritt Centennials in Game 1 of their Interior semifinals. The second period was scoreless and in the third, Bast scored again to put the game out of reach. Merritt got on the board midway through the third with a Tyrell Buckley tally but that was the only shot to get past Mat Robson on the night as he made 26 saves for the win. Nic Jones got a late goal to round out the Vees’ scoring. Game 2 is Saturday at 6 p.m. in Penticton.
