South Delta A1 Storm is taking its season to BC Hockey’s Bantam Tier 2 Provincial Championships in Williams Lake after a dominating run through the Pacific Coast Amateur playoffs.
The six-team championships are slated for March 15 to 18. South Delta will play round-robin games against each of the entries — Williams Lake, Ridge Meadows, Kelowna, Peninsula and Greater Trail. The first and second place finishers will square off for the gold medal on March 18 at 7:30 p.m.
The Storm secured its BC berth with an unbeaten run (2-0-1) at the Pacific Coast Final Four Championships in New West that wrapped up last Wednesday.
South Delta opened with a 7-2 win over Ridge Meadows A2, then cruised past cross-town rival North Delta A1 with an 8-0 triumph that guaranteed the trip to Williams Lake. The boys closed out the playdowns with a 4-4 tie with New West A1.
Ridge Meadows A2 earned the second BC berth with a 2-1-0 record.
Earlier, the Storm opened the playoffs with a 5-0 victory over Cloverdale A2, then promptly took care of Port Moody A1 in a first-to-four-point series with decisive 5-0 and 7-0 wins.
Brent Wheatley’s squad certainly entered the post-season good and battle tested.
The Storm was the only Bantam A1 team from a two tier size association to qualify for PCAHA’s Top Flight in regular season play thanks to a 6-1-1 record in group two placement play last fall.
South Delta finished eighth in the 11-team division at 7-14-1 record, but the team was competitive every night thanks to stellar defensive play that resulted in the flight’s fourth best goals against average (2.73).
The Storm also closed out its league schedule playing some of its best hockey of the season — highlighted by a 2-1 victory back on Jan. 31 over powerhouse Semiahmoo (16-5-1) that is now headed to the Tier One Provincials.
The team includes: Goalies- Brady MacDonald and Ty Molema. Defencemen- Hayden Clisby, Mathias McDonnell (A), Riley Neaves, Owen Turpie (C), and Isaac Zed. Forwards- Jack Callow, Cooper Fitton, Dylan Heer, Jacob Jones, Wylder Lappin, Zachary Milen, Nabeel Moledina, Kai Sloan (A), Mason Stewart and Owen Venier (A).
Rounding out the coaching staff are assistants Tony Marra and Jeremy McKeown. Both are SDMHA alumni players. The team manager is Bobbi Venier.
