Vimal Sukumaran scored a hat trick but it was Darien Craighead’s goal at 11:42 of the third that stood up as the winner for the Chilliwack Chiefs in a 4-3 home win over the Wenatchee Wild that gives the Chiefs a 1-0 series lead.
Colin Burston and Sukumaran traded goals in both the first and second periods making it 2-2 heading to the third. Sukumaran’s hat trick marker put the Chiefs ahead again but Blake Christensen equalized for Wenatchee. The game only remained tied for 1:33 when Craighead came through with the decisive tally.
Chilliwack held Wenatchee to just 10 shots through two periods and wound up with a 33-19 shot advantage for the game. Aidan Pelino got the win in net for the Chiefs. Game 2 goes Saturday at 7 p.m. in Chilliwack.
Evan Johnson made 30 saves and four different players scored for the Nanaimo Clippers in a 4-1 home win over the Powell River Kings in Game 1 of the Island Finals.
Spencer Hewson opened the scoring for the Clips in the first and it was Lucas Finner’s goal in the second that wound up being the game-winner. Nanaimo led 2-0 heading to the third where Kyle Betts got the Kings on the board but it was the only puck to get past Johnson on the night.
Devin Brosseau got the insurance goal for Nanaimo and Gavin Gould added an empty-net tally to seal the deal. Game 2 goes Saturday at 7 p.m. in Nanaimo.
Scott Conway scored twice in the opening frame and it proved to be all the offence the Penticton Vees needed in a 5-1 home win in Game 1 over the West Kelowna Warriors.
Connor Sodergren got the lone goal for West Kelowna in the second to get them within one going to the third. But in the final frame, it was all Vees with Easton Brodzinski, Tyson Jost and Owen Sillinger doing the damage.
Keelan Williams came on for Matthew Greenfield and finished the game in net for the Warriors after the Sillinger goal. Zach Driscoll made 18 saves for the win. Game 2 goes Saturday at 6 p.m. in Penticton.
