The Lloydminster Bandits and Vermilion Tigers won their respective semifinal series on the weekend, setting the stage for a head-to-head championship battle between the Northeastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League rivals.
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Including their decisive 8-3 victory at the Hub on Sunday evening, the Bandits defeated the Killam Wheat Kings 4-1 in their best-of-seven semifinal.
On Saturday night at Vermilion Stadium, the Tigers defeated the Wainwright Bisons 4-2 to win that series 4-1, ending a decade-old Wainwright reign as the league champion.
In the past week, Lloydminster won 5-2 on Friday at Killam, where the Wheat Kings posted a 4-3 overtime victory last Wednesday.
After losing its series-opener 4-0 at home, Vermilion won four straight games against the Bisons, including 6-2 decisions Friday at Wainwright and last Wednesday at Provost.
BANDITS 8, WHEAT KINGS 3: Jake Redden scored three goals in the first two periods as Lloydminster opened a 6-1 lead in the series-clincher.
Cash Parkin, Maddux Woodbury and Kade Dennett each supplied a goal and an assist. Aidan Martens and Joel Webb rounded out the Lloyd scoring, and Shae Stewart stopped 30 shots.
Linemates Redden and Parkin tallied back-to-back short-handed goals, while Webb’s goal came on a power play.
Jordan Gagnon, with a power-play marker, and Dylan Kruchten each collected a goal and an assist for Killam. Tanner Sheets also scored, and Ethan Edwards blocked 32 shots.
BANDITS 5, WHEAT KINGS 2: Balanced scoring sparked Lloyd, as goals came from Colton Parker, Jace Gunderson, Cayden Wildeman, Jayden Plamondon and Tyson Ziegler, with an empty-netter.
Webb, the Bandits’ captain, added two assists. Stewart made 27 saves, while his teammates fired 43 shots at the Wheat Kings’ Edwards.
Gagnon tallied both Killam goals. He leads the league in playoff scoring, with eight goals and 14 points in eight games.
The Wheat Kings’ lineup included forward Kelton Doolaege, the Castor native fresh from his U18 AAA playoff series with the Lloydminster Lancers.
WHEAT KINGS 4, BANDITS 3 (OT): Kruchten’s goal at 4:39 of overtime gave Killam its only victory of the series.
The Wheat Kings’ Cade Schatschneider forced extra time when he scored with just two seconds left in regulation. Gagnon and Tanner Quinton had the other Killam goals.
The Lloyd marksmen were Parkin, with two points, Redden and Webb. Stewart stopped 35 shots for the Bandits, while Edwards registered 29 saves.
TIGERS 4, BISONS 2: Dannon Pavka’s power-play goal with two minutes left in the second period gave Vermilion a 3-1 lead in its series-clinching victory.
Ean Cooke, Cade Meiklejohn and Kaden Davidson also tallied for the Tigers. Pavka, Davidson and captain Rohan Quist each picked up a couple of points.
Morgan Chorley and Grady Priest scored the Wainwright goals.
Aiden Fox blocked 30 shots for the Tigers, while the Bisons’ Lochlan Jenner made 28 saves.
TIGERS 6, BISONS 2: Cale Johnston counted two goals as Vermilion prevailed in Game 4 at Wainwright.
Pavka potted one tally and two assists. Davidson, Meiklejohn and Quist each netted a goal and an assist.
The Bisons’ goals came from Tanner Werenka and Ryker Singer, with a power-play marker.
Vermilion almost doubled Wainwright in shots (48-26). Tending goal were the Tigers’ Fox and the Bisons’ Ryder Zubiak.
TIGERS 6, BISONS 2: In Game 3 at Provost, playoff call-up Kael Scott scored two goals in the first half of the game to put Vermilion up 3-1.
Cooke and Davidson, each with a power-play tally, added two goals apiece on the night.
Wainwright received goals from hometown call-up Alec Robinson and Veteran forward Zach Nelson.
Robinson and Scott, on opposite teams for the junior B playoffs, were teammates this season with the U18 AAA Lloydminster Lancers. The rookie Scott, a Calgary Hitmen prospect, led Lloyd in scoring.
Jenner allowed five goals on 17 shots before Zubiak replaced him midway through the game. They faced a combined 35 shots.
Fox stopped 35 of the 37 shots he faced.
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