The Castlegar Rebels took home the bronze medal from the Cyclone Taylor Cup with an exciting 5-4 comeback win over the Comox Glacier Kings Sunday in Comox. But it was the Richmond Sockeyes who hoisted the Cup after a 4-1 victory over the Victoria Cougars.
Jake Roder scored the winner at 10:47 as the Sockeyes erupted for four goals in the second period to erase a 1-0 Victoria first-period lead.
Mathew Ho started the scoring for the Cougars 3:18 in the first, but goals from Jeremy Hamaguchi, Roder, Liam Lawson and Rudie Thorstenstein put the Cougars away early.
Richmond cruised through the round robin with a 3-0 record, including a close 3-2 victory that doused Castlegar’s hopes Saturday. It’s the second year in a row the Cougars have succumbed to a Pacific Junior Hockey League team in the final, losing to the Abbotsford Pilots in last year’s Cyclone Cup final. The Pilots went on to win the Keystone Western Canadian championship in relatively easy fashion.
In the Castlegar-Comox consolation final, the Rebels stormed back from a 3-0 deficit and Trail native Jamie Vlanich was named player of the game for the Rebels netting two goals and an assist in the dramatic victory.
Travis Wellman netted what proved to be the winner on the power play converting a pass from Stuart Walton to make the score 5-3 late in the second period.
The Glacier Kings grabbed a quick three-goal lead seven minutes into the first on goals from Sheldon Brett, Tyson Rennie, and Nick Tupper, but the Rebels charged back. Vlanich notched his first of the night at 7:21 of the first period, finishing a nice pass from captain Eric Alden. Disher would draw Castlegar to within one just over four minutes remaining in the opening frame.
Vlanich would tie it at 5:01 of the second period on a great individual effort, and would then set up Eric Alden to give the Rebels the 4-3 outright lead on another power play. Penalties hurt the host Glacier Kings as they were shorthanded six times in the second period alone and the Rebels fired 17 of its 47 shots at the Comox goal.
The Kings narrowed the lead to one midway through the third, but Connor Beauchamp shut the door for the Rebels ensuring the bronze medal.
The Richmond Sockeyes head to the Keystone Cup Apr. 17-21 in St. Malo, Man.