Hawks, Heat faceoff in KIJHL Final

By Nelson Daily Sports

The Beaver Valley Nitehawks will meet the Chase Heat to determine the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League Champion after the Hawks and Heat outlasted Kimberley and Osoyoos in deciding Conference Final games Friday.

Beaver Valley scored four times in the opening frame to dump Kimberley Dynamiters 5-2 in the Kootenay Conference fifth game.

Tyler Ghirardosi got the party started for the home fans with two goals seven minutes into the first period.

Devon Langelaar stopped the bleeding with a goal two minutes later.

However, Ghirardosi, with his third of the period, and Dylan Heppler scored before the period concluded to give the Hawks the early lead.

Beaver Valley then rode the netminding of Tallon Kramer to a berth in the KIJHL final which begins Monday in Fruitvale.

Meanwhile, the Heat completed the comeback in Game five at Osoyoos.

Two second period goals by Kaden Black and Zachary Fournier powered Chase past the Coyotes.

Osoyoos won the first two games of the series.

However, the Heat won two games in overtime at home before pulling off the shocker in the South Okanagan City.

Game two of the KIJHL Final best-of-five series goes Tuesday before the series shifts to Chase for Games three and four, Thursday and Friday.

If necessary, Game five is Sunday, April 2, in Fruitvale.

The KIJHL Champion represent the league at the Cyclone Taylor Cup April 6-9, 2017 in Creston.