Three of four semi-finals need “best of three” game as Stamps, Demons, Steelheads, Wolverines move ahead

Defending champions the Kitimat Ice Demons and Hazelton Wolverines in the West Division and the Williams Lake Stampeders needed all three games of the divisional semi-finals to settle which teas moved o. The East Division leading Smithers Steelheads dispatched the Omineca Ice in two games, 5-4 in game one inVanderhoof last week and by the same score on home ice in Smithers on Saturday. After losing 4-1 to the Kitimat Ice Demons in the opening game in Prince Rupert last week, the Rampage overcame a 1-0 lead going into the second period and hung around to surprise the Demons 6-4 and record their first win of the season against Kitimat. But the euphoria was brief as the Demons came back to dominate the Sunday game, winning 7-1 The Terrace River Kings and the Hazelton Wolverines, emotional local rivals, stretched the series as well as the Wolverines recorded an overtime win in their home game last week, 6-5. But with a huge Hockeyville booster crowd on had in Terrace Saturday night, the River Kings had an empty net goal to shut out the Wolverines 3-0. But it was different Sunday afternoon as the persistent Wolverines just wouldn’t go away and eliminated Terrace by a score of 5-4. Perhaps the most “in doubt” contest of the playoffs was the best of three East Division semi-final series between the Houston Luckies and the Williams Lake Stampeders. By virtue of a home ice 6-4 victory last weekend, the Stampeders held a 1-0 series lead and required a single weekend victory to move on to the next round of the playoffs. So, it was a well motivated Luckies team playing for their playoff lives that took advantage of a bus weary Stampeder team in winning game two of the series in convincing fashion by a score of 9-3. Houston had spotted the visitors an early 1-0 first period lead, but roared back with 9 goals in the next 2 periods to walk away with the much needed win to equalize the series at 1-1. Due to a scheduling conflict, Sunday’s game was not played in Houston's home arena, but rather in Burns Lake. The smaller ice surface was expected to play in favor of the larger Houston Luckies squad, with their pounding style of play. However, it was the quicker and speedier Stampeders that took advantage of the neutral site facility and skated away with a 6-2 win, and a 2-1 series victory. The Stamps were in control of the game right from the start, as Williams Lake built a 3-0 first intermission lead. Houston fought back in the second period with a pair of goals. However that was as close as the Luckies would get to the fleet footed Stampeders, as Williams Lake finished out the scoring with three more goals to make the final score 6-2. . The Stamps out-shot Houston by a margin of 42-28. The Stampeders will now meet the Smithers Steelheads in the East Division final, in a best of three series starting next Saturday the Lake City. Games two and three will be played in Smithers the following weekend. The West Division final will see the Kitimat Ice Demons, (winners of their series over Prince Rupert), face off against the Hazelton Wolverines, (victors over the Terrace River Kings).