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Hazelton upsets top seed in CIHL playoffs; Smithers ousted by second seed

The Wolverines swept the Rupert Rampage 6-4 and 4-3 in overtime Feb. 17 and 18

The Hazelton Wolverines and Smithers Steelheads had nearly identical Central Interior Hockey League (CIHL) season records, but opposite post-season results Feb. 17 and 18.

While the Wolverines were busy sweeping the West Division’s top-seeded Prince Rupert Rampage last weekend, the Steelheads were being swept by the Terrace River Kings in the first round of the playoffs.

Both teams finished the season 7-8-0-1 for 15 points, but having won the season series between the two, Smithers was awarded third place setting up a best-of-three series with the 9-4-0-3 River Kings.

Hazelton, on the other hand, had to first knock-off the hapless Kitimat Ice Demons in a wildcard game Feb. 11. They did that easily, doubling up the Demons 12 - 6.

With a valiant year under their belts, going 12-4-0-0, the Rampage were the odds-on favourites to win the west going into Hazelton on Friday. But the Wolverines had something else in mind.

On home ice, they took a 1-0 advantage in the playoff with a 6-4 victory.

Going home to Rupert for Games 2 and 3 (if necessary), the Rampage remained confident, but the plucky Hazelton squad quickly took a 2-0 lead in the first four minutes on Feb. 18 on goals by Joel Patsey and Sean Maktaak. Patsey would pad the lead to three before the end of the period.

The second period was scoreless and characterized by a lot of frustration. In total, 12 penalties for 32 minutes were issued including eight minutes for roughing, six minutes for roughing after the play, four minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct and a game misconduct for Hunter Atchison.

The chippiness of the game settled somewhat in the final frame and the Rampage came roaring back to tie it up on two goals by Reid Lindsay and another by captain Kory Movold.

By the three-minute mark of overtime, however, Rupert’s season was relegated to the record books.

“The season itself, from start to now, was really good,” said Rampage Coach Roger Atchison. “The players, the community, everyone — it was just a great success, other than the last two games. We just couldn’t get anything going against this team here.”

“The game was tied. We were just fighting everyone tonight and when you’re fighting everyone, it’s just — I don’t know what to say.”

The Wolverines have been building chemistry all year long and now you can see the fruition of all that work, Barnes said.

“We’ve been saying all year long we were playing for the playoffs, trying to get as many people in to have a pool to pick from.”

“We think we’ve got a good team that can go a long way in the playoffs and hopefully on to the Coy Cup.”

Smithers also had home-ice advantage in the first game of their series with Terrace Feb. 17.

But unlike their Hazelton counterparts, the Steelheads just couldn’t get anything going against their opponents.

In Game 1, the River Kings jumped into a 2-0 lead and never looked back finishing off the home team 8-3 after 30 minutes.

Game 2 in Terrace was more of the same with the home team scoring first at 12:31 of the opening frame. While Levi Olson was able to tie it for Smithers 29 seconds later, it was all Terrace from that point on as the River Kings added six unanswered goals for a 7 - 1 final.

In the East Division, there was also surprising upset as the upstart Nechako Northstars playing their first season in Vanderhoof and Fort St. James picked off the second place Williams Lake Stampeders in a best-of-three Feb. 11, 18 and 19.

While Nechako only managed six wins to Williams Lake’s 11 during the season, they had the Stampeders’ number splitting the season series and winning the first and last in the best of three.

The Northstars face off in the East Division final with the regular season league-leading Quesnel Kangaroos (12-3-0-1) starting in Vanderhoof Feb. 24 with Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) scheduled for Feb. 25 and 26 in Quesnel.

The West Division final will also be played Feb 24, 25 and potentially 26 starting in Hazelton.

The winner of the CIHL championship series qualifies for the Coy Cup at the end of March in Quesnel. As the host team, Quesnel is already guaranteed a spot in the four-team round-robin.

Last season in a modified version of the championship, Terrace hosted the Dawson Creek Canucks, winner of the North Peace Hockey League (NPHL) in a best-of-three series.

This season sees a return to the traditional format in which the qualifiers are: the host team, the winner of the CIHL, the winner of the NPHL and a yet-to-be-disclosed finalist.

- With files from K-J Millar



Thom Barker

About the Author: Thom Barker

After graduating with a geology degree from Carleton University and taking a detour through the high tech business, Thom started his journalism career as a fact-checker for a magazine in Ottawa in 2002.
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