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Dynamiters are Kootenay Conference Champs after sweeping Beaver Valley

Nitros headed to Teck Cup Finals for fifth time in seven seasons
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After pulling off the sensational reverse sweep in round two, the Kimberley Dynamiters have swept Beaver Valley in round three, for a total of eight straight playoff wins.

They are once again Kootenay Conference Champions and for the fifth time in seven seasons will head to the Teck Cup Finals, where they will take on either Princeton or Revelstoke.

“[Morale] is pretty high, the guys are pretty excited,” head coach, general manager Derek Stuart said. “It was a fun bus ride home and deservedly so.”

Their series against the Nitehawks started strong with 4-2 and a 5-1 wins in games one and two. Game three was also a hefty victory, winning 4-1 on Tuesday, Mar. 21, but Stuart said Beaver Valley gave their best performance of the year in game four.

READ MORE: Dynamiters pull off reverse sweep

“For me that was their best game of the series by a mile,” he said. “They came out hard, we were on our heels in the first and down two-nothing, but I think our second period was perhaps our best period of the entire season, I think we got 26 shots on net and a number of scoring chances. These guys just refuse to quit, the resiliency of this group is unbelievable.”

Beaver Valley came out guns blazing and had a two-goal lead after the first, but the Nitros turned on the jets in the second, putting up 26 shots, with three dropping from Duncan Paradis, Christian Mealey and Kasey Miller.

Beaver Valley tied things up early in the third, but then Cam Reid answered back, scoring the game winner and cinching the series with a highly-skilled goal — a fine way to celebrate his 21st birthday indeed.

“Cam’s been fantastic, we bumped him back up to forward for games three and four and last night for my money he was the best player on the ice,” Stuart said. “I don’t think many players in our league could have scored that goal that he got, that was a top-level goal and he was a big factor in all three series wins.”

Goaltender Trystan Self was named one of the KIJHL’s stars of the week and for good reason, stopping 36 of Beaver Valley’s 39 shots on goal in game four, while Matt Fleet also gave a good performance in the game three win.

“He’s back to his old self, he’s back to the Trystan that we know and gotten to be very comfortable with, but I will say Matt Fleet stepped in game three and gave us a fantastic performance after not playing since I believe game three of the Fernie series,” Stuart said. “Trystan’s been great and we expect that, and Matt Fleet has been an outstanding partner for him too.”

It’s still yet to be decided whether the Nitros will be taking on Princeton or Revelstoke in the finals, but winning round three in four games gives them a good chance to rest and get ready.

“We’re going to take the next two days off for sure, maybe have a light skate on Saturday or Sunday and then just treat it as a normal, regular week starting Monday,” Stuart said. “Obviously I’m going to watch the remaining games in the Princeton Revelstoke series series and do some scouting and just get prepared to continue to play the way we’re playing.”



paul.rodgers@kimberleybulletin

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