Storm Give Up Lead – Drop Game One 5-3
Storm Give Up Five Straight Goals, Drop Game 1 Of Birks Division Final
REVELSTOKE, BC—It was a great start but a rocky finish for the Kamloops Storm in game one of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League Birks Division Final.
Friday night (Mar 8), in Revelstoke, the Storm scored the games first three goals but then gave up five straight: four in the third period as they were beaten 5-3 by the host Grizzlies. Revelstoke leads the best of seven series 1-0. Game two is Saturday (Mar 9) at the Revelstoke Forum.
Kamloops led 2-0 after the first period on goals from Nathan Bohmer (Logan Lake, BC) and Kyle Sanford (Kamloops, BC). Bohmer’s goal was his fourth of the playoffs.
Evan Clark (Kamloops, BC) gave Kamloops a 3-0 advantage at the 7:28 mark of the second period.
But then it was all Revelstoke.
Ethan Coventry (Calgary, AB) scored two straight goals for Revelstoke. The first coming late in the second period. He added a hat trick goal into an empty net at 18:20 of the third period. Coventry has five playoff goals. Brady Schwab (Snohomish, WA) and Daniel Wittenberg (Calgary, AB) had the other third period markers for the Grizzlies.
Revelstoke outshot Kamloops 57-44 including 21-14 in the second period. The Storm was 0-8 on the power play while Revelstoke was 1-5. Jozef Kuchaslo (Mission, BC) was in the nets for Revy while Colton Phillips-Watts (Quesnel, BC) tended the twine for Kamloops.
These two teams will play game two Saturday (Mar 9) before the series shifts to McArthur Island in Kamloops for games three and four Monday and Tuesday (Mar 11-12).
ICE CHIPS: The Storm played without veteran defensemen Sam Lewis and Devin Benson (both Kamloops, BC). Kuchaslo committed to Drury University of Springfield Missouri. The Panthers are members of the ACHA (NCAA DIV II).