Omenica Ice takes West Division title with close 5-3 win over Houston Luckies in Fraser Lake

The CIHL regular season drew to a close this weekend, as the Omenica Ice edged the Houston Luckies, 5-3 in the two teams' final game in Fraser Lake, taking the East Division title of the CIHL. It was close, with the Ice with the Ice breaking the points tie by virtue of more wins against Houston, 3-1. Both teams finished the season with similar records, 22 points from 11 wins and five losses each – but Omineca recorded wins over Houston by 4-1 in Houston, Nov. 17, 3-1, at home, Dec. 29; and 5-3 Saturday. Houston won the other game, 6-5 in Houston on Dec. 22. Saturday’s result means both the Kitimat Ice Demons, west division and league regular season champions, and the Omenica Ice, as east division leaders, will have the bye in the first round of playoffs over the next two weekends. In the West, Smithers will visit Terrace Saturday or game one of the opening round, while Houston will travel to play third place east division Williams Lake Stampeders. The following weekend, Jan 26/27 the teams will reverse the home ice situation for games two (and three if necessary). Feb. 2 will see the Demons and the Ice re-enter the fray, traveling to the home ice of the semi-final divisional winners, Terrace or Smithers for the Demons and Houston or Williams Lake for the Ice. The league finals will start between the divisional playoff champions On Feb. 16 and Feb. 23-24. Both finalists will qualify for the Coy Cup, to be played in Terrace, March 4-8. In other games this weekend in the west division the Terrace River Kings evened their series with the Hazelton Wolverines with a 4-3 win, in an overtime shootout. Terrace then traveled to 100 Mile House to complete its inter-division schedule against the 100 Mile House Bears, losing with bus legs on Saturday, 5-4, to a Bears team anxious to improve its season record. But Terrace came back Sunday afternoon for a 4-3 win to complete their season with a total of 15 points from seven wins, eight losses and a shootout loss. The Hazelton Wolverines and Smithers Steelheads also ended their regular season schedule on Saturday night at Smithers where the Steelheads outlasted the Woleverines, 6-4. The Steelheads finished the season in second place in the west division, with 18 points, 10 behind the first place Kitimat Ice Demons and three ahead of Terrace, to acquire home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Wolverines and the 100 Mile House Bears did not qualify for the playoffs.