Mario Cavaliere made 46 saves to take 1st Star and Jackson Ross set up a pair of goals for the Surrey Eagles in a 3-2 road win in Prince George that evens the Mainland finals at a game apiece.
There was no scoring in the first and just past the midway point of the second, it was Desi Burgart with his postseason-leading ninth goal, getting Surrey on the board. Aaron White added the second Eagles tally just over five minutes later. Cavaliere made 21 saves in the second period alone.
In the third, Ethan de Jong got PG on the board at the 7:41 mark but John Wesley got what would be the winner for Surrey a little under five minutes after that. The Spruce Kings managed a second goal, with Ben Brar tallying at 19:59 leaving no time to get the equalizer. Game 3 is Monday at 7 p.m. in Surrey.
In Victoria, it was Josh Coblenz’ second-period goal that stood up at the winner for the Powell River Kings in a 3-2 victory over the Grizzlies that puts the Kings up 2-0 in the Island finals. Hunter Findlater opened the scoring with just 25 seconds to go in the first and Kyle Kawamura added on early in the second. Coblenz made it 3-0 before Carter Berger got the Grizzlies on the board later in the second. Cam Thompson scored in the final minute of regulation to get Victoria within one but they couldn’t find the equalizer. Matteo Paler-Chow made 39 saves for the win and 1st Star. Game 3 is Monday at 7 p.m. in Powell River.
Ty Taylor made 34 saves and Jesse Lansdell’s goal late in the first was the winner for the Vernon Vipers in a 3-1 decision over the Wenatchee Wild that puts Vernon up 2-0 in the Interior semis. Mitch Andres opened the scoring for Vernon at the 2:50 mark and Lansdell got the decisive tally at 18:37 of the opening frame. AJ Vanderbeck got Wenatchee on the board 1:55 into the second but it would be the only puck to beat Taylor on the night. Jagger Williamson rounded out the Vipers’ scoring with a shorthanded tally in the third. Game 3 goes Tuesday at 7:05 in Wenatchee.
Owen Sillinger notched a hat trick for the Penticton Vees, leading them to a 7-2 win over the Trail Smoke Eaters and putting the Vees up 2-0 in the other Interior semifinal series. Sillinger opened the scoring but Tyler Ghirardosi had a quick reply for Trail before Jack Barnes restored the Vees edge later in the first. Sillinger got his second early in the second and his younger brother Lukas added on as well, both goals coming on the man advantage. Jackson Keane, again on the power play, made it 5-1 Vees after 40 minutes. Spencer McLean got the other Trail goal later in the third but Penticton added two more late ones of their own with Sillinger finishing the hat trick and Keane adding his second. Penticton was 5-for-7 on the power play on the night. Game 3 is Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Trail.
