Skip to content

Kelowna Chiefs sweep KIJHL twinbill from North Okanagan Knights

Chiefs score 4-3 win at home Friday, 7-3 road win in Armstrong Saturday
27914998_web1_220127-VMS-knights-chiefs-KNIGHTS_2
North Okanagan Knights defender Landen Janz (right) ties up Kelowna Chiefs forward Sam Dixon during KIJHL action in Rutland Friday, Jan. 21. The Chiefs won 4-3. (Tami Quan Photography)

The Kelowna Chiefs completed a weekend doubleheader sweep of the North Okanagan Knights in Kootenay International Junior Hockey League action Saturday, Jan. 22, at Armstrong’s Nor-Val Sports Centre with a 7-3 victory.

The Chiefs won 4-3 at home in Rutland Friday, Jan. 21.

After Ty McNaughton opened the scoring Saturday for the Knights, Kelowna would score seven of the next eight goals, including four in the first 14 minutes of the second period.

James Hooton scored twice for the Chiefs while singles went to former Knight Owen Spannier, Levi Lamotte, Chase Eising, Jaden Lohn and Spencer Horning.

Kyle Bax and Adam Mueller had powerplay goals for North Okanagan.

Frederick Larochelle made 29 saves in goal for the win while Jake Dubinsky stopped 40 in a losing effort.

Nick Morin scored the winner Friday for the Chiefs at the 6:30 mark of the third period. The goal game exactly one minute after McNaughton had tied the contest at 3-3 for North Okanagan.

Mueller and Devin Jameson staked the Knights to a 2-0 first-period lead, but the Chiefs took a 3-2 lead into the final frame with unanswered second-period markers from Alex Edwards, Ty Marchant and Lamotte.

Gabriel Murrells-Allway made 51 saves for North Okanagan while Reed Mclennan stopped 26 shots for Kelowna.

The Chiefs (18-11-2-0) maintain a two-point lead over the third-place Summerland Steam (17-10-1-1) in the Bill Ohlhausen Division, led by the league-best Osoyoos Coyotes at 26-2-2-3. The Steam hold two games in hand on Kelowna.

The losses keep North Okanagan (8-16-4-2) in fourth place, now only one point ahead of fifth-place Princeton as the Posse whipped Summerland 7-3 Sunday afternoon at home.

Editor’s note: This story was updated Monday, Jan. 24, at 11 a.m. to include Princeton-Summerland result

READ MORE: QUIZ: How much do you know about hockey?

READ MORE: Vernon Vipers rally to beat Salmon Arm

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Want to support local journalism? Make a donation here.



Roger Knox

About the Author: Roger Knox

I am a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. I started my career in radio and have spent the last 21 years working with Black Press Media.
Read more