The Sooke Midget A Thunderbird boys headed into their Thursday semi-final game with a first place standing after the round robin in Cranbrook. With the most points of any team in the Tier 3 BC Hockey provincial championships after three wins and two ties, Sooke faced Merritt on Thursday, March 24.
Sooke's Clay McClimon got the first goal unassisted in the second period, but Merritt tied it shortly after. Then Merritt edged ahead near the end of the second period. A few minutes later, a strong slap shot from Aaron Kasper tied it up, and Sooke never looked back (assists from Derek McDougall and Nick Pfeifer).
Sooke kept up the battle throughout the third, with Nick Dueck facing a total of 40 shots in the game. But nothing else got past him. Sooke's scorers got three more goals to end the game, and earn a chance to compete for gold, with a 6-2 win. Third period goals and assists were by Tom Kirk (Keltan Chandler); Braden Senft (Kasper); Chandler (Senft, Jesse Burrows); and Tyler Smith (McClimon).
Sooke faces West Vancouver for the gold medal on Friday, March 25 at noon (Pacific time).