Chase Zieky’s goal 10:53 into overtime lifted the Interior #3 Salmon Arm Silverbacks to a 6-5 road win in Game 1 over the #2 West Kelowna Warriors.
Salmon Arm held intermission leads of 2-1 and 4-3 with Kodi Schwarz supplying a goal and an assist in the middle frame to give them the lead back after Liam Blackburn and Bryan Basilico had scored early in the second.
Kylar Hope and Josh LaFramboise traded goals in short order in the third, and Salmon Arm held a lead briefly before Quin Foreman tied it up just past the midway point. It stayed that way until Zieky’s overtime game-winner. Angus Redmond made 39 saves for the win while Matthew Greenfield stopped 41 for West Kelowna. Game 2 goes Saturday at 7 p.m. in West Kelowna.
It was Ryan Forbes’ goal, 4:04 into overtime, that delivered a 3-2 home win for the Mainland #1 Chilliwack Chiefs in Game 1 over the #4 Coquitlam Express. After a scoreless first, Jordan Kawaguchi got his first of two for Chilliwack but Luca Leone replied for Coquitlam just over four minutes later. The Express went ahead on Austin McIlmurray’s goal in the third but Kawaguchi forced OT when he scored with just 57 seconds remaining in regulation. Aidan Pelino made 35 saves for the win. Game 2 goes Saturday at 7 p.m. in Chilliwack.
The third overtime game of BCHL Playoffs opening night was at Island #2 Powell River where Austin Kamer was the hero, scoring at 9:34 of OT to secure a 5-4 Game 1 Kings victory over the #3 Cowichan Valley Capitals. Adam Brubacher scored in the first and the second for the Kings and they led 2-1 after two with Josh Adkins scoring in the second for the Caps. An eventful third saw Cowichan take the lead on goals by Adkins and Corey Hoffman only to see Liam Lawson and Carter Turnbull respond to put the Kings back in front. It was a dramatic Matt Hudie goal with one second left in regulation that forced OT where Kamer won it for Powell River. Jeff Smith made 26 saves for the win while Storm Phaneuf stopped 42 for the Caps.
Scott Conway scored twice, including the winner, as the Interior #1 Penticton Vees downed the visiting #4 Vernon Vipers 6-3 in Game 1 of their series. After Liam Finlay opened the scoring for the Snakes in the first, the Vees got goals from Conway, Tyson Jost and Taylor Ward to take a 3-1 lead after one. Conway and Owen Sillinger scored to open the second before Odeen Tufto got one back for Vernon and in the third, Nick Jones and Finlay traded tallies to close out the scoring. Anthony Brodeur made 15 saves for the win while Andrew Shortridge turned aside 41 for Vernon.
Ryan Finnegan scored twice in the first period and it proved to be all the Island #4 Alberni Valley Bulldogs would need in a 2-1 win over the #1 Nanaimo Clippers. Sheldon Rempal got the lone Clips goal late in the second period and Brody Claeys did the rest, making 19 saves for the victory. Evan Johnson made 30 saves for Nanaimo.
