A pair of Semiahmoo Minor Hockey squads are set to take on some of the top teams from across B.C., as provincial championships get set to hit the ice next week.
Semiahmoo’s bantam A1 Ravens are among six teams at Bantam Tier 1 Championships in Kelowna, while their younger Raven counterparts, Semi’s peewee A2 team, will compete at Peewee Tier 2 provincials in Penticton.
Both tournaments begin Monday (March 16) and wrap up with finals Thursday night.
The bantam Ravens will be joined in Kelowna by teams from Langley and Victoria’s Juan de Fuca Minor Hockey Association, as well as squads representing the Thompson-Okanagan, Central B.C. and East Kootenay zones.
Semiahmoo earned its spot at provincials after winning a Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association banner late last month after a 3-2 win over Ridge Meadows in the final.
Your 2020 @PCAHAMain Bantam Tier 1 Champs. #GoRavens pic.twitter.com/iHoHygZiLo
— SEMI Hockey (@semihockey) March 4, 2020
The peewee Ravens, meanwhile, will battle with teams from Penticton, Burnaby Winter Club, Salmon Arm, Cranbrook, Williams Lake, Cowichan Valley, Semiahmoo and Fort St. John.
Both the peewee Ravens and Burnaby Winter Club advanced to provincials out of the PCAHA’s Final Four tournament, which was held two weekends ago. Semiahmoo won two of its three games in the Final Four, defeating South Delta and Richmond, and losing to Burnaby Winter Club.
“The (players) are very confident. They’ve got a good vibe going right now,” Semiahmoo coach Topher Plonka told Peace Arch News. “We had two goals that we set at the start of the season. The first one was to make provincials, and the second one was to win provincials.
“We know it’s going to be difficult, but that’s what we wanted. Hopefully we keep it going.”
Additionally, a pair of Surrey Female Hockey Association teams will compete for a provincial title in their respective B.C. showdowns. The association’s midget Falcons team will compete at provincials in Richmond, while the peewee Falcons will play in an eight-team tournament in Kelowna.
Both events are scheduled for March 18-22.
Last season, Semiahmoo Minor found success at the provincial level, as the White Rock/South Surrey association’s peewee A1 team captured a B.C. banner, beating Burnaby Winter Club 6-2 in the championship game, which was played at White Rock’s Centennial Arena.
sports@peacearchnews.com
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