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Nitros suffer heartbreaking Game 7 loss

Creston completes a 4-1 comeback to win 5-4 and advance to KIJHL conference final.

The Kimberley Dynamiters suffered the ultimate heartbreak on Saturday, losing 5-4 to the Creston Valley Thunder Cats after giving up a 4-1 lead in Game 7 of the KIJHL's Eddie Mountain division final.

The Dynamiters had a 3-1 series lead after four games, but the Thunder Cats were able to complete one of hockey's toughest challenges by coming back to force—and win—a seven-game series.

Heading into the weekend, the Nitros had a 3-2 series lead, but fell 4-2 on home ice at the Civic Centre on Friday. With one game to win it all, the Dynamiters grabbed a big lead in the final game of the series, only to have the Thunder Cats storm back in a huge third-period comeback.

Game Seven was a monster special teams battle, with five powerplay goals and one shorthanded marker.

Kimberley got goals from Jared Marchi, Tanner Gray, Bryce Perpeltiz and Tyson Klingspohn.

Carson Cartwright, Andrew Hodder, Jesse Collins, Logan Styler and Seth Schmidt tallied for Creston.

Kimberley peppered 43 shots on goaltender Kyle Michalovsky, who gave up four goals, while Tyson Brouwer manned the crease for the Dynamiters with 22 saves.

Cartwright tallied first for Creston, but Marchi responded a few minutes later as both teams capitalized on the powerplay in the first period.

Gray scored with a shorthanded effort in the second, while Perpelitz and Klingspohn also lit the goal lamp with the man-advantage for a 4-1 Kimberley lead after two periods.

However, something happened in the final 20 minutes, as momentum shifted to the Thunder Cats.

Hodder got the ball rolling six minutes into the frame, while Collins and Styler scored in the latter 10 minutes to tie up the game.

Schmidt scored the back-breaking goal on the powerplay with 2:06 remaining on the clock to put Creston in the lead.

 



Trevor Crawley

About the Author: Trevor Crawley

Trevor Crawley has been a reporter with the Cranbrook Townsman and Black Press in various roles since 2011.
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