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Big game Thursday night for Heat

Beaver Valley Nitehawks take first two games in series.
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Rick Koch photo The Chase Heat celebrate after Josh Bourne scores the game winner in overtime sending the series versus the Osoyoos Coyotes to a deciding Game 5 on March 24 in Osoyoos.

Scott Koch/Contributor

The Cardiac Kids from the Chase Heat found the only way to win in Game 4 of the conference on March 22, was to score in less time than the 2.7 seconds in Game 3. So, they tied the Osoyoos Coyotes with three-tenths of a second left to send the game to overtime – three-tenths of a second!

In the first period, Michael Fidanza opened scoring from Cody Hodges and Josh Bourne. The Yotes tied it up on the power play from Judd Repole. In the second, Kolten Moore popped in the disk from Bourne and Fidanza. Osoyoos came back with a pair from Tyler Holz and Austin Steger on the power play. In the third, stellar defender Mason Palaga scored from Spencer Farstad and Zachary Fournier. Once again on the power play, the desert dogs take the lead from Colin Bell. Then, drum roll please, Fidanza from Travis Beaubien and Palaga ties it up with less than a second to go. In the first overtime on the power play, Bourne pops in the winner from Moore and Fournier. Nic Bruyere stops 38 of 43 to backstop the Heat to a 5-4 win.

Game 5 on Friday, March 24 is in Osoyoos and a record crowd of 693 in attendance, 150 there for the Heat! It’s a winner-take-all in a best-of-five series and Osoyoos comes out hard, popping in the first tally from Colton Rhodes. Less than two minutes later, Captain Farstad evens things up assisted by Kaden Black and Fournier. In the second, the Heat are hot, too hot as first Black from Pat Brady and Fournier on the power play and then Fournier from Black and Farstad make it 3-1. The beleaguered Coyotes couldn’t mount a comeback and the underdog Heat seal the deal with Bruyere stopping 50 of 51 shots. The Heat are the 2016-17 KIJHL Okanagan/Shuswap Conference Champions!

It’s then time to trundle down the highway once again as underdogs to take on the regular season-leading Beaver Valley Nitehawks in Fruitvale. The Hawks on Monday the 27th take a lead in the first from Tyler Hartman. In the second, they add to the total scoring twice from Jake Yuris and Mitch Foyle on the man advantage. Chase mounts a comeback, the first from Fournier assisted by Palaga and Ryan Okino, the second from Bourne aided by Fidanza and Hodges.

Then BV replies with a pair from Bradley Ross and Sam Swanson. After 40 minutes, it’s 5-2. In the third, Beaubien gets the third tally from Fidanza and Hodges. It’s not enough as BV closes scoring, Swanson sliding in an empty net goal. It was a 6-3 final and Chase will make adjustments for Game 2.

It’s Tuesday night the 28th and the lads are ready for a barn-burning game. In the first, it’s Bourne on the power play from Fournier and Moore. Then Fidanza fandangles a tally from Bourne and Jayce Schweizer. To make things a touch better, Cory Loring gets goal 3 from Moore and Beaubien. The Hawks on the power play get one from Dylan Kent. The first closes out with Moore scoring goal 4 from Loring and Palaga. In the second, BV has regrouped and Ross pops in a power-play tally and then gets his second of the period to get his crew to within one, 4-3. In the third, it’s more Hawks. McKoy Hauck, on the man advantage, ties the match up and the comeback is complete when Aiden Browell scores to claim a 5-4 victory for Beaver Valley.

Game 3 of the best-of-five is scheduled for Thursday the 30th at the Art Holding Memorial Arena, with Game 4 if necessary in Chase on the 31st and Game 5 in Fruitvale if necessary on April 2. The underdog Cardiac Kids are ready and able with the thundering, drumming fans’ support!