Pioneers and Indians Advance to Finals

The Ladner Pioneers punched their ticket to the finals for the 8th straight season after knocking out the Nanaimo Timbermen 3-0 in their best-of-5 semi-final. The clinching win came Monday July 27th at Ladner Leisure Centre by the score of 12-4. Ladner led 4-0 after 20 minutes and built up a 9-0 advantage before the game was half over. The Pioneers outshot the T-men 71-43, with Keegan Okino making 39 saves for his 3rd win. Mitch Jones led the attack with 3 goals and 2 assists.

The North Shore Indians also advanced to the finals after dispatching the Coquitlam Bandits 3-0 in their best-of-5 semi-final. The Indians eked out an 11-10 overtime win Tuesday July 28th at Harry Jerome Community Rec Centre to complete the sweep. The lead changed hands five times before the Indians took over the game midway through the final frame and built up a 10-7 advantage before the Bandits stormed back and eventually tied the match on a Randy Jones tally with 48 seconds left to force the extra period. Adam Charalambides, with his 4th goal of the night, scored the game winner 46 seconds into the 4th period to seal the win. The Indians outshot the Bandits 69-50, with Lee Jackman stopping 40 shots for his 3rd W. North Shore's Jacob Dunbar (5G, 3A) led all scorers.

Check the ticker for the Finals game times and scores!