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SCWHL provincial finals: Richmond Devils face off against North Shore Rebels for gold in Hope

The Devils and the Rebels are the only two teams that have never won a provincial championship
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The Rebels beat the Devils 2-0 in the opening round robin on Friday, March 21. The finalists are the only two teams in the league that have never won a provincial championship. Rick Kupchuk photo.

The champions of the South Coast Women’s Hockey League’s (SCWHL) provincial tournament will be crowned today (March 27) in Hope B.C.

The Richmond Devils will face off against the North Shore Rebels at 12:15 p.m. for gold at the Hope and District Recreation Centre in the finals. The Meadow Ridge Moose and the Kamloops Vibe play at 10 a.m. for bronze.

The Devils are aiming to win their first provincial championship, while the Rebels are playing for their first provincial championship game ever. They are the only two teams in the league that have never won a provincial championship.

The SCWHL’s senior AA league is some of the highest level of competitive women’s hockey in B.C. The tournament began on Friday, March 25, with six teams seeking the coveted B.C. Hockey banner.

The Devils won a 2-1 overtime victory against the Vibe in the first of Saturday night’s two semi-final games.

The first two periods were scoreless, but the Devils’ Emily Costales scored just 41 seconds into the third. With four minutes to go in the contest, Kamloops tied the game with a goal by Lisa Campeau.

Goalies Jenne Ehling of the Devils and Ashley Fisher of the Vibe made 31 and 34 saves, respectively.

The Rebels knocked out the Moose by a score of 2-0 yesterday. Both goals were managed in the second frame by Justine Johnson and Cassidy Bell, while goalie Cassidy Hendricks came out with the shutout.

Friday’s opening round robin led to a three-way deadlock in each pool, after each team came out with a 1-1 record. In two games held on Saturday morning, the South Fraser TNT and Fraser Valley Jets were eliminated.

The Devils have made a surprising run at the provincial crown, said SCWHL President Rick Kupchuk. Their regular season record was 2 wins, 18 losses and 3 ties, while the Rebels record was 11 wins, 7 losses and 6 ties on the season.

The Rebels beat the Devils 2-0 in the round robin on Friday.

RELATED: South Coast Women’s Hockey League brings provincial tournament back to Hope


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patrick.penner@missioncityrecord.com

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