Photo credit: Garrett James Photography
Langley Rivermen – 3
Alberni Valley Bulldogs – 2 (3OT)
Ajeet Gundarah made 38 saves and Max Dukovac scored the winner 58 seconds into the third overtime period to give the Langley Rivermen the 3-2 win over the Alberni Valley Bulldogs in Game 4 and a 3-1 series lead.
Riley Wallack opened the scoring for Langley with a power-play marker 6:11 into the game, but Josh Zary evened things up for Alberni with a goal less than three minutes later. The Rivermen would regain the lead before the end of the frame on a Keaton Oakley goal and it was 2-1 at intermission. Brandon Buhr potted his league-best eighth of the postseason midway through the second period to tie the game at two, a score which would last until the third overtime period. The Rivermen got possession in the Bulldogs zone shortly after the opening faceoff and, after a Tanner Attew point shot, Dukovac got loose at the side of the net and buried the rebound for the winner.
Hobie Hedquist was a rock in the Alberni net tonight. He made 49 saves in the loss and was named first star of the game.
The Bulldogs will play for their playoff lives on Friday night at home in Game 5.
Salmon Arm Silverbacks – 5
West Kelowna Warriors -1
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks got two second-period goals from Zack Smith, as well as three assists from Noah Serdachny en route to a 5-1 win in Game 4 over the West Kelowna Warriors to save their season and extend their second-round series to a fifth game.
West Kelowna took a 1-0 lead on an Elan Bar Lev Wise first-period marker and carried that advantage to the first intermission. In the second, Smith took over with goals at 5:49 and 17:04 to give Salmon Arm the one-goal advantage heading to the third. In the final frame, the ‘Backs would build on their lead through goals by Tucker Hartmann, Isaac Lambert and Daniel Panetta to make it a 5-1 final.
Brandon Santa Juana had two assists, Lambert added a helper for a two-point night and Owen Say stopped 32 of 33 shots to get the win.
The Warriors will have another opportunity to clinch the series in Game 5 Friday night in Salmon Arm.
