There was a better than one in five chance of it happening and it did.
All three teams in Round 3 find their records at 2-2 – and no team has won on home ice – after a West Kelowna Warriors 5-2 win over the host Nanaimo Clippers.
Kylar Hope’s shorthanded tally put the Warriors up 1-0 after one but Nolan Aibel replied in the second to tie it for Nanaimo. The Clippers went ahead on a Gavin Gould tally just 37 seconds into the third but it would not last.
West Kelowna reeled off four goals in a 9:14 span of the final frame to overtake the home side. First, Garrett Forster snapped home a shot from his off wing to tie it and 16 seconds later, a wraparound effort by Connor Sodergren put the Warriors ahead for good. Tallies from Quin Foreman and Hope, with his second of the night, came after that.
With all teams’ records even at 2-2, two extra games will be needed. They will follow the order of the first two games of the round robin so first up is West Kelowna at Chilliwack (Sunday, 5 p.m. at Prospera Centre). The winner of that game goes to the Finals and will have home-ice advantage there as they’d be the first to three wins.
If Chilliwack wins and advances after Sunday’s game, Nanaimo will travel to West Kelowna to face the Warriors on Tuesday, April 12.
If West Kelowna wins and advances after Sunday’s game, Chilliwack will travel to Nanaimo to face the Clippers on Tuesday, April 12.
