The host and defending champion South Delta Storm have locked up a semi-final berth with a game to spare at B.C. Hockey’s U18 Provincial Tier 2 Championships.
The Storm improved to 3-0 with a 6-2 win over the Greater Trail Smokies on Monday night at the Ladner Leisure Centre.
South Delta will conclude round-robin play Tuesday night (7:30 p.m.) against Fort St. John and is destined for Wednesday’s 11 a.m. semi-final game as the first place team in Group B.
The tournament concludes Wednesday night with the bronze (5 p.m.) and gold (8 p.m.) medal games.
Only the heroic play of goaltender Landan Uzeloc kept the Smokies within striking distance for much of the night on Monday.
South Delta enjoyed a whopping 60-17 advantage in shots, but only led 4-2 until power play goals 55 seconds apart from Will McColman and Zach Milne midway through the third period sealed the win. McColman’s tally came during a two-man advantage for a full two minutes.
Earlier, the Storm erased a 1-0 Greater Trail lead on a pair of first period goals from Owen Venier. Captain Kai Sloan and Milne scored in the second period.
The Storm took control of Pool B with opening day (Sunday) wins over Cloverdale (3-1) and Williams Lake (7-3).
McColman’s first period power play goal was the only scoring against Cloverdale until Sloan doubled the lead early in the third. Blueliner Thomas Cowan added a late insurance goal after the Colts finally beat goaltender Brady MacDonald.
South Delta cruised past Williams Lake thanks to a five-goal explosion in the second period. Hayden Clisby led the way with a hat trick.
Pacific Coast Amateur rival Sea-to-Sky Bears sit atop Pool A with a 2-0-0 record heading into their final round-robin game today (Tuesday). Peninsula (1-1) and Penticton (1-1) are potential semi-final opponents for South Delta.
