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RBC Cup

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Warriors parade for cup win

The West Kelowna Warriors will be the guests of honour at a parade and barbeque to celebrate their RBC Cup championship.

The event will be held Thursday evening.

The parade is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. The route is as follows:

  • Mt. Boucherie Senior Secondary School Parking lot 
  • East Boundary Road to Ross Road, Ross Road to Hewl Road
  • Hewl Road onto Warriors Way at the Mt. Boucherie Complex

The barbeque will follow at 6 p.m.

The Warriors captured the RBC Cup Sunday with a 4-0 win over the host Lloydminster Bobcats.

It was the Warriors 93rd game, including regular season and playoffs. They won 62 of those.

Liam Blackburn, Jonathan Desbiens, Kyler Hope, Tyler Anderson, Nick Rutigliano and Connor Sodergren played in all 93.

All three championship trophies, The Fred Page Cup, Western Canada Cup and RBC Cup will be on display Thursday.



Warriors win RBC Cup

West Kelowna Warriors, RBC Cup champions.

Matthew Greenfield turned aside 48 shots and Jonathan Desbiens scored the game winner with a separated shoulder suffered in Saturday's semi-final, in a 4-0 win, Sunday over the host Lloydminster Bobcats.

About 2,000 fans, including several Warriors supporters, saw Desbiens open the scoring when he banged home Brett Mennear's rebound 5:21 into the opening period.

Greenfield took over from there, making several key saves, especially during the decisive opening period.

"That's pretty special," said Greenfield of the shutout.

"I wasn't even thinking shutout. I was thinking, just give my team a chance and they were unbelievable in front of me."

The closest the Bobcats came to getting on the board was a shot Taylor Mulder put in the net, however, it was waved off because of contact with a high stick.

Greenfield, acquired just before Christmas, said it wasn't any one guy. He said everybody contributed as one point or another during the season.

Reed Gunville, who anchored the fourth line, scored the biggest goal of his young career 6:29 into the second period to give the team a two goal cushion.

"Every kid grows up dreaming of playing on TSN. And, to score at a crucial time of the game, was huge," said Gunville.

Garrett Forster won a race to the puck in the Lloydminster corner, and found Gunville, who was trailing the play and yelling for the puck.

"Their forwards got caught changing, so Garrett Forster got the puck in the corner, and I was just yelling for it.

'He put a perfect pass to my tape, and I was lucky enough to have it go in."

The Warriors put it away in the third.

Liam Blackburn scored his third of the tournament when he grabbed the puck behind the Lloydminster net while killing a penalty, came to the front of the net and backhanded the third goal past LeClerc.

The Bobcats pulled LeClerc with a little under five minutes left, but were unable to generate much against a stingy Warriors defence.

Rylan Yaremko sealed it into the empty net, when his dump out from inside his own blueline flipped on end, and curled into the yawning cage.

"That last one curved, I think it went all the way around the rink," said Yaremko.

"But, I think it's my little buddy in the stands that came to watch. When he's here, everything just seems to go better.

"You have a bad shift and you look at these bracelets we have and think big picture. It just kind of calms you down."

Sunday's RBC Cup championship is the first in the 10 year history of the franchise in West Kelowna. It's also the first time a team outside the top 20 has made it to an RBC Cup final, let alone win it.

For Kyler Hope, who was also playing with a separated shoulder and a banged up wrist suffered Saturday night, it was a dream to win a title so close to his home town with so many friends, and family in the stands.

"It's amazing. You just look at the cup in front of all our fans, pick out faces of family and friends, people you went to school with.

"It's an amazing feeling. I never thought it would come true. There are no words, no words."

Hope said the title RBC Cup champion hasn't sunk in yet.

For head coach Rylan Ferster, this is the second time he will get his name etched onto a national championship trophy.

He won it as a player in Vernon when it was still the Centennial Cup in 1990, and, now as a coach.

"Anytime you win a championship, it's special, because only so many people get to do that," said Ferster.

"I'm really happy for our kids, they really worked hard all year. Internally, be battled through a lot of adversity to get to where we are today. I don't know if it's good things come to those who wait, or good things come to those who work hard."

He said players had to play through a lot, especially over the last several games, to help get the team to a championship.

"I was surprised J.D. (Desbiens) was able to go tonight, and he scores. It just goes to show the character of the young man, I mean, he separated his shoulder, and he's playing.

"Hoper had a separated one for awhile, and, you've seen his hand, it's god awful. But, those kids worked hard, and they played hurt and never complained."

Sunday's championship game wasn't pretty, but, as they have the previous 99 games, including pre-season, the team found a way to get it done.They outworked the Bobcats when they needed to, and took advantage of the opportunities when they were available to them.

Bobcats head coach Gord Thibodeau, said he was proud of his team's effort Sunday.

He said the team played as hard as it could, but just couldn't get the job done and, as has been the case for much of the week, struggled to score goals.

"We have nothing to look back on and say, we could have done this, or we should have done that. We left it out there, and I'm proud of that," said Thibodeau.

"We ran into a very good hockey team, a very good goaltender, and we just couldn't find a solution and get a puck past him. We had some loose pucks around the cage and we could find a way to put them in, where yesterday we did."

That's the nature of the game, he said.

The Warriors won a franchise best 62 games over the course of 93 regular season, playoff, Western Canada Cup and RBC Cup games.

For many of these players, this will be the end of the their Warriors career. As many as 11 players will either graduate due to age, or move up to college.

By the way, the pre-season begins in about 15 weeks.




A Warrior gift for Brendan

While the rest of his teammates were relaxing, or contemplating the weekend's semi-final, West Kelowna Warrior Rylan Yaremko was working to make a little boy's dream come true.

Yaremko has befriended Brendan Ritchie, a Grade 2 student afflicted with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension.

He was diagnosed with the disease, which severely limits his ability for physical exertion, more than three years ago.

Once the Warriors were guaranteed a spot in the semi-final, Yaremko went to team chaplain, Pastor Don Richmond with an unusual question.

"How much do you think it would cost to fly Brendan and his mom to Lloydminster?

"He told me a good price. I was thinking a lot more actually. Once he told me that, I said I have to do this now."

He covered the cost of the flights himself.

"I wouldn't want to spend it on anything else," he said.

"My parents did help out a little bit, but a majority was what I had put away."

Yaremko said he contacted Brendan's mother, Kristine, and asked what she thought about him getting them tickets.

"She didn't say anything for a few minutes. I said I want to fly you down here.

"I'd like to bring Brendan down here because he's a part of our team. What he brings when he comes into the dressing room..."

Yaremko didn't tell anybody Brendan was coming to Lloydminster. It was a surprise for the players prior to Saturday's semi-final with the Brooks Bandits.

"He showed up in the dressing room, and just the look on everyone's face, it was indescribable."

He said Brendan's appearance was worth a little extra in the Warriors' step during Saturday's 4-1 semi-final win.

"We've battled as a team for more than 90 games this year.

"He battles every day with his situation. Seeing him with a smile on his face, you just realize the big picture. It gives everybody a jump in their step for sure."

Brendan and his mom will be front and centre Sunday afternoon when the Warriors battle the Lloydminster Bobcats in the final of the RBC Cup.

"There's nothing I'd rather do than share this with him."

The Warriors and Bobcats meet Sunday at 3 p.m. Pacific time.



Warriors in cup final

The West Kelowna Warriors will play for a national title.

The Warriors broke open a tight game with two unanswered goals in the third period, and weathered some undisciplined play by the opposition Brooks Bandits in a 4-1 win in Saturday's semi-final at the RBC Cup in Lloydminster, Sask.

They will face the host Lloydminster Bobcats in Sunday's final.

The Bandits were assessed 12 misconducts or game misconducts, including one to coach Ryan Papaioannou. The team had just nine players left for the post-game ceremony and handshakes.

Papaioannou was not made available to speak to the media after the game.

"Obviously, when you come to these short term competitions, and I've been in a few now, you set those little goals and little hurdles so-to-speak," said Warriors head coach Rylan Ferster.

"The first one is obviously to make it to the semi's and be one of those four teams. The hurdles get bigger there...win and play tomorrow, or lose and go home. The quote I always use is how hard would you play if you knew tomorrow you couldn't.

"I thought our kids played real hard today and played disciplined when they had to. We still have a crack at a national championship tomorrow."

The Warriors opened the scoring with their first power-play goals since the tournament opener against Lloydminster a week ago.

Jake LeBrun got his third of the RBC Cup when his one-timer from the left circle off a perfect feed from Kristian Blumenschein, squeezed through Garrett Hughson.

Connor Sodergren made it 2-0, 49 seconds later when when he converted a Garrett Forster feed off the rush from the right wing. The puck went across the line just as the net was knocked off its supports.

After a lengthy discussion, the officials allowed the goal to stand.

It was the third of three referees decisions that went the Warriors way.

"Obviously, I thought we had some puck luck tonight and Matthew Greenfield was real good for us," said Ferster.

"You throw those things in, and we get to play for a national championship tomorrow."

Later in the first with the Warriors shorthanded, a similar Brooks goal was waved off after the goal came off its supports well before the puck crossed the line.

Brooks would get one that counted with 12 seconds left on the same power-play, when Ty Mappin slid the puck past Greenfield.

It would be the only goal to beat the Warriors veteran on the night.

The Bandits had the better of the play in the second, but it was the Warriors who had the better chances. Kyle Marino was robbed from point blank range by Hughson after a perfect centering feed from Bryan Basillico.

Liam Blackburn and Basillico were also stopped from in close.

The best Bandits chance came when Greenfield was forced to sprawl and get a toe on Jeff Malott's chance.

Jesse Pereira had a chance in the dying moments on a shorthanded breakaway, but Marino thwarted that chance from behind.

Early in the third, moments after Greenfield robbed Troy Mick, the Warriors got the all important.

Off a turnover, Sodergren fed Kyle Marino, whose shot from the left circle beat Hughson to put the Warriors up by two.

The game, according to the Bandits twittersphere, turned moments later when Derek Lodermeier had, what he thought, was the 3-2 goal waved off when it appeared the puck went in off his glove.

The referee initially ruled a goal, but, after protests by Greenfield, and consulting with his fellow officials and the goal judge, disallowed the goal.

Eleven seconds later, the Bandits were hit with a pair of minor penalties, including a bench minor, which led directly to Rylan Yaremko's power-play goal, as he deflected home LeBrun's centering pass.

Papaioannou was tossed from the game, beginning a long parade to the penalty box.

The Bandits were assessed 132 minutes in penalties during the final period, as they turned what had been a good hockey game up to that point, into a gong show.

Brooks did outshoot the Warriors 34-32 on the night. They were 1-7 on the power-play, while the Warriors scored twice on their 14 chances.

Marino said the Warriors were able to make some adjustments, which translated to success with the man advantage.

As for the three contentious goals, Marino said he thought the officials did a good job of getting help to ensure the right calls were made.

As for Sunday's opponent.

"It's going to be a bumping arena. We're going to have to come out and have a good start against them," said Marino.

"Obviously they are there for a reason. They are a good team We'll have to play hard.":

The Warriors dumped Lloydminster 5-2 in the tournament opener a week ago.

Ferster was asked if he saw anything different from the hosts in Sunday's semi.

"I thought in game one we got a couple lucky goals that I'm sure we won't get tomorrow.

"It will be a different game. A lot is on the line for those kids too. I'm sure it will be a tight checking game. They check real well. Gord's a great coach, so he'll have his team ready to go."

Sunday's RBC Cup final is set for 3 p.m. Pacific time. The game will be televised nationally on TSN.



Hosts reach RBC Cup final

The Lloydminster Bobcats waited until the most important game of their season to finally get untracked.

After giving up early goals in all four round robin games, the Bobcats scored first, and got some breaks in a convincing 6-2 win over the Trenton Golden Hawks, to advance to Sunday's RBC Cup championship game.

The Golden Hawks had the best record throughout the round robin, including a 4-1 win over the Bobcats to close it out Thursday night.

"I don't think we took them lightly," Trenton head coach Jerome Dupont said during an emotion post-game scrum.

"I thought we were flat, and I can't figure out why we were. There's no reason to be when you're playing for a potential championship. I don't have all the answers."

Tied 1-1 late in the first, the Bobcats got the break of the tournament.

While controlling the puck on the power-play, Bobcats defenceman Nick Quillan pulled the puck toward the centre of the sheet, and fired a low wrist shot that appeared to go through an opening in the mesh.

The four officials got together, and, after e brief discussion, deemed the puck had indeed gone through the net. Replays appeared to back up the call on the ice.

Bobcats coach Gord Thibodeau said the referee was in good position, and hoped they would get the call right.

"He was right behind the net and he saw the shot," said Thibodeau.

"We saw it from the bench and it was clear it went in. But, to be honest what I was think was, that was a hell of a move Quillan made, because he had me faked out on it."

Dupont, who was visibly upset at the bench, saw it very differently.

"We brought it up that there were holes in the nets. We went to the refs and said the nets need to be fixed if you can.

"Obviously, that's not possible I guess, and now, they're looking for pucks that go through the net. I didn't think it went in. If you've got it on tape, maybe you should go look at it."

The game seemed to turn from there as the Bobcats were by far the better team the rest of the way.

The teams traded goals in a middle period in which the hosts outshot Trenton 22-7.

They shut down the Golden Hawks in the third, allowing just four shots, while scoring on three of three of their eight.

Clinging to a one goal lead going into the third, Thibodeau said the message to the players was clear.

"The guys asked if we were going to change the forecheck and back off to a one-two-two, and I said absolutely not.

"We're going to keep going, we're going to get the next one hopefully. And, the guys felt confident we were starting to fatigue them."

Ryan Chynoweth scored twice to pace the Bobcats, including the game clincher into an empty net.

Noah Bauld, Christian Lloyd and Kris Spriggs also scored for the Bobcats.

Lloyd scored the game winner, a blast from just inside the blueline, which seemed to handcuff Trenton goaltender Daniel Urbani.

Ironically, Lloyd was a member of the Golden Hawks for two seasons before being dealt to the Bobcats prior to the start of this season.

Lloydminster will face the winner of Saturday's second semi-final between the West Kelowna Warriors and the Brooks Bandits, in Sunday championship game.



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