The Williams Lake Stampeders took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five Central Interior Hockey League East Division final Sunday after a 5-3 home-ice victory over the Quesnel Kangaroos.
One day prior, the Kangaroos snatched up a 4-3 overtime victory to even the series up at one a piece, before Williams Lake rebounded the following day.
“I think our guys played really aggressively and I think we played the whole 60 minutes really well,” said Stampeders president Marko Zurak. “The boys played well, all four lines, and we rotated them and got the right results.”
On Saturday Francis Johnson, Stuart Sasges and Kurtis Bond tallied for Williams Lake, before Quesnel’s Justin Fulton notched his second of the night just five seconds into the extra frame.
Sunday, the Stampeders led 4-2 after two periods with two goals from Kaleb Boyle, and singles from Nathan Zurak and Kurtis Bond before Matt Lees added an empty net marker in the third in the 5-3 win.
Justin Foote made 35 saves Sunday in the victory for the Stampeders.
In the CIHL West Division final the Terrace River Kings took a 1-0 series lead over the Smithers Steelheads after a 6-5 overtime win.
Game four of the East Division final is slated for this Saturday in Quesnel and, if necessary, game five takes place in Williams Lake on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex.