The West Kelowna Warriors are the champions of Junior A hockey after defeating the host Lloydminster Bobcats 4-0 Sunday afternoon at the RBC Cup.
After being traded from the Spruce Kings at the trade deadline, Bryan Basilico and Jake LeBrun were both big factors in the team winning the national championship. In six games, Basilico had one goal while playing in a shutdown role, and Jake Lebrun had five points in six games including two goals and an assist in the round robin against Llyodminster.
The Bobcats controlled most of the first period, and outshot the Warriors 18-12. At 5:21 of the period though, Jonathan Desbiens scored, and the rest was up to Matthew Greenfield. The West Kelowna Warriors netminder stopped all 48 pucks that came his way, and earned a shutout that was the first in an RBC Cup final.
Llyodminster again outshot West Kelowna in the second, but it was the Warriors making the most of their opportunities, with Reed Gunville scoring off a nice pass from Garrett Forster.
In the third while short handed, Prince George native Liam Blackburn scored the uplifitng goal for his side by stealing the puck off the Bobcats netminder, and then beating him between the wickets for a 3-0 lead. To cap things off, it was Rylan Yaremko sending a shot from 200 feet away into the open net of the Bobcats.
The title marks the first in the Warriors franchise history.
The Prince George Spruce Kings would like to congratulate the West Kelowna Warriors on their victory, and bringing the BCHL the league’s 13th RBC Cup.
