Kamloops Storm awaiting second round matchup in KIJHL playoffs

Photo: Kamloops Storm | Facebook

The Kamloops Storm celebrate following their 3-2 overtime win in Quesnel on Tuesday night.

A 3-2 overtime win Tuesday night gave the Kamloops Storm the series-clinching victory they needed to sweep the Quesnel River Rush and punch their ticket to the second round of the KIJHL playoffs.

“Quesnel is a wagon-burner style team. They’re run-and-gun and unpredicatable, and we’re more structured so you didn’t know which side was going to win,” Kamloops Storm General Manager Matt Kolle said.

“But in this case, structure and discipline won.”

The Storm took the first two games at home, winning 4-1 on Friday and 6-2 on Saturday.

Games three and four in Quesnel were closer, with Kamloops earning a 4-3 comeback on Monday night before rookie Luca D’Amore secured the win 3-2 on Tuesday win with three points, including the overtime winner.

Williams Lake or 100 Mile?

The second round will see the Storm take on the winner of the ongoing Williams Lake Mustangs and 100 Mile House Wranglers series.

Kamloops’ would-be opponents are locked in a tight 2-2 series with the next game scheduled for Friday.

“We’re OK with 100 Mile or Williams Lake,” Kolle said when asked who his team hopes to face.

“We’ll let them battle it out. Hopefully, they go right to seven and they really don’t like each other … but we don’t mind who we play.”

The second round will likely get underway next weekend.

In the meantime, the Storm will take the weekend off and return next with a full slate of practices to keep players engaged as they await the next opponent.

The general manager is excited to see what his team can do throughout the rest of the playoffs.

Kolle said his club had a tough start to the season but has played well after the holidays due to new acquisitions and improved team chemistry.

“This is the type of team you look for,” he said. “It’s just a team you can depend on every day, working hard and doing what they can do.”

Good vibe on Mac Island

Kolle said the turnout for Game 1 was great. The game featured entertainment from the Kamloops School of the Arts Drumline.

“It reminded me of being in Europe when they played the drums all game long — the place was just buzzing and it was full house,” Kolle said. “Saturday was a little quieter. Still a great crowd, but there was a Blazers game at the same time.”

As the Storm's playoff run continues, Kolle hopes to increase the entertainment value to encourage more local fans to turn up.

The Storm were eliminated in the second round of last year's playoffs.

Game tickets are available for purchase on the Kamloops Storm website.