Williams Lake Stampeders fight through hard checking Terrrace River Kings team to win 4-3 and earn a berth in Saturday final vs host Kitimat Ice Demons The Terrace River Kings were eliminated in the semi-final of the Coy Cup tonight by former Cup winners, the Williams Lake Stampeders -- but it they put up a strong resistance coming back to one goal difference with three minutes left as play wound down in the third period. Williams Lake, CIHL finalists this season, and former Cup winners, however, had the better of the play throughout as Terrace continued to suffer from excessive zeal penalties, taking nine minor penalties against only six for the Stamps. Each team capitalized with early power play goals - Nathan Zurak (Dylan Richardson, Stuart Sasges) just two minutes into the first and by Rajan Sangha (Steve Cullis, Nick Homenuik) for Terrace to leave the game tied at 1-1 at the 14 minute mark of the first and at the end of the period.. Stamps had a second power play goal by Tyler Fuller (Nathan Zurak, Brent McIsaac) late in the second period, that held up into the third, but Terrace again tied the game at 2-2 on a goal by Colby Ames (Cameron Kerr) while the teams were at full strength, just three minutes into the third. However, on a strong push that netted two goals 18 seconds apart in the 10th minute of the third by Francis Johnson (Jassi Sangha, Dave Gore) and atap across the line by Nathan Zurak (Dylan Richardson, Stuart Sasges) seemed to lean the game in the favour of Williams Lake. But with just 2.33 left in the period and Terrace hard on the attack, the River Kings got to Justin Foote once again on an unassisted goal by Dawson Leblond to leave the lead at one goal, 4-3 and the final outcome still very much in doubt. But the Stamps were able to weather the storm as they battled it out in the last two minutes. Terrace pulled injured goaltender Garrett Muir - but couldn't force a final opportunity. Neither team played exceptionally well throughout the game -- but both goaltenders were excellent, particularly Garrett Muir in the Terrace net, who had Stampeder shooters gnashing their teeth all night. The Stamps out-shot Terrace by a margin of 36-28--closer than the play indicated. The final for the Coy Cup will go at Tamitik Arena in Kitimat tonight at 8.00 p.m. and will again feature the host Kitimat Ice Demons and the Williams Lake Stampeders, as it was when Kitimat won the Cup in Prince Rupert in 2011. Demons beat the Stampeders 6-2 in their opening game on Tuesday. Williams Lake Stampeders eliminate Quesnel Kangaroos 7-1 and Ice Demons earn finals bye with 6-1 win over Terrace River Kings The Williams Lake Stampeders, with productive veteran, Francis Johnson added to their lineup, did not have a lot of trouble eliminating the shorthanded Quesnel Kangaroos (14 skaters) from the Coy Cup in their final game of the round robin in the Coy Cup. Quesnel went 3-0 and had their one goaltender, Ryan Manderson was overwhelmed with 23 goals against in the tournament. Williams Lake took the game 7-1 to ascertain they would at least be in the semi-final today (Friday)against the loser of last night's final round robin game between the Terrace River Kings and the Kitimat Ice Demons. Game stars were Brent McIsaac for Williams Lake and Paul Girodat for the Kangaroos. Williams Lake got goals from Dylan Richardson (2g, 1a), Nathan Zurak (2g 2a), Jas Sangha, Aaron Zurak, and Brent McIsaac (1g 1a). Waylon L'Heureux had the goal for the Kangaroos. It was a tame affair compared to many matches this season between the teams with the Stamps taking four minor penalties and the Kangaroos six. So, much came down to the Kitimat-Terrace game to see who would get the bye to Saturday's final...a three-goal win by Terrace could have seen them earn the day off. Unluckily for Terrace River Kings, which has played a hard, fast brand of hockey all week with its own power play striking for seven man-advantage goals, came out a little flat and were forced to take early penalties. Kitimat, on the other hand did a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde act in the game -- with its Jekyll side capitalizing with three of four goals in the first period scored on the power play, Two came from d-man David Venman, returned from injury, who also collected assists on one of the other two goals scored by Ben Rumley and Derek De Lisser. Terrace took six penalties in the first frame, and Kitimat just two. In the second period the roles were reversed as Terrace came out hard looking to get a hold in the game -- and it was Kitimat's Mr. Hyde team's turn to catch the ref's eye as they took five penalties to Terrace's five. But Kitimat goalie Tom Mildenberger stood tall in the net letting on only one point blast from Corbin Legros that he never saw. But Kitimat also capitalized once more of the power play a7 17.38 when David Venman set up Ian Coleman for one of the better goals of the night - a hard one timer that Garret Muir could not get to. The final period was also a ding dong affair and Terrace again had a man in the box at 14.49 when Derek Wakita (Jordan Goncalves, Terry Whelan) converted Kitimat's sixth goal and fifth on the power play. Terry When had three assists on the last three goals, Jeff Mildenberger, who was a horse through the game had two and Ben Rumley, had a goal and an assist. Total penalties were Terrace 38 minutes and Kitimat 40 minutes. The semi-final game between the River Kings and the Williams Lake Stampeders goes at 8.00 p.m. tonight, with the winner getting a chance at the Coy Cup in tomorrow's final against the Kitimat Ice Demons. Game stars were David Venman for the Demons and Lee Muir for the Terrace River Kings. Ice Demons roll to 8-3 win over improved Quesnel side, while Stampeders edge Terrace River kings in wide-open chippy match, 5-4 Day two round robin matches at the Coy Cup Senior Men's AA provincial hockey championships saw the Terrace River Kings edged 5-4 in the third period of a hard-skating chippy game, by CIHL playoff finalists, the Williams Lake Stampeders. The game was tied for most of the play at 3-3 and 4-4 before the Stampeders picked up the go ahead goal seven minutes into the third - and then hung on for the ride the rest of the period. Period 1 7.08 - Williams Lake 1-0 - Jas Sangha (Brent McIsaac, Justin Foote) PP 12.43 - Williams Lake 2-0 - Brent McIsaac (Nathan Zurak, Dylan Richardson) 16.15 - WL 2 Terrace 1 - Rajan Sangha (Corbin Legros,Josh Murray) 18.59 - WL 3 Terrace 1 - Dylan Richardson (Aaron Zurak, Nathan Zurak) Period 2 1.20 - WL 3 Terrace 2 - Corban Legros (Chris Kirby, Joey Cormano) 1.52 - WL 3 Terrace 3 - Derek Jurista (Rajan Sangha, Tristan Murray) Period 3 0.28 WL 4 Terrace 3 - Jas Sangha (Stuart Sasges) 4.29 WL 4 Terrace 4 - Rajan Sangha (Dawson LeBlond, Steve Cullis) 7.57 WL 5 Terrace 4 - Aaron Zurak (D. Richardson, N. Zurak Shots WL 34 Terrace 32 Penalties WL -16 min Terrace 14 min. Game stars Williams Lake - Aaron Zurak Terrace - Rajan Sangha In the second game, the Kitimat Ice Demons were caught early by a short-handed giveaway unassisted goal by Quesnel sniper, Paul Girodat but fought back to tie and take the lead before the end of the first period. These goals came from Terry Whelan (Jeff Mildenberger, Derek Wakita) and on a late deflection at 19.15 in the period by Brandon Wakita, off a Jeff Baker shot. Although the Kangaroos, playing much better and more penalty-free hockey, scrambled back into a 2-2 tie in the second, the Demons quickly asserted themselves and went ahead to a 6-3 lead by the end of the second and added two more in the third for a convincing win. Period 1 7.37 - Kitimat 0 Quesnel 1 - Paul Girodat (unassisted)SH 15.01 - Kitimat 1 Quesnel 1 - Terry Whelan (Jeff Mildenberger, Derek Wakita) 19.15 - Kitimat 2 Quesnel 1 - Brandon Wakita (Jeff Baker) Period 2 5.05 Kitimat 2 Quesnel 2 - Paul Girodat (Justin Fulton) 8.18 Kitimat 3 Quesnel 2 - Jeff Baker (Terry Whelan, Kyle Madsen) 8.52 Kitimat 4 Quesnel 2 - Terry Whelan (Ian Coleman, Derek Wakita)PP 17.08 Kitimat 4 Quesnel 3 - Waylon L'Heureux (Justin Fulton, Troy McMillan) 17.48 Kitimat 5 Quesnel 3 - Josh Slanina (Jeff Baker, Ben Runley) 19.30 Kitimat 6 Quesnel 3 - Jeff Mildenberger (Brandon Wakita) Period 3 12.34 Kitimat 7 Quesnel 3 - Ben Rumley (Nick Markowsky, Jeff Mildenberger) 14.29 Kitimat 8 Quesnel 3 - Derek DeLisser ((Wade Masch) Shots - Kitimat 31 Quesnel 16 Penalties - Kitimat 12 mins Quesnel 10 mins Game stars - Kitimat Terry Whelan - Quesnel Justin Fulton Thursday's final round-robin pairings present some interesting potential outcomes. The down two games Quesnel Kangaroos will face the one and one Williams Lake Stampeders at 5.00 p.m. - in a resumption of what has been a heated affair all throughout the CIHL season, while local rivals Terrace River Kings and the host Kitimat Ice Demons will be matched up in what is predicted to be a barn-burner at 8.00 p.m. Coy Cup Day One sees western teams, Kitimat Ice Demons and Terrace River Kings run over eastern reps Quesnel Kangaroos and the CIHL finalists Williams Lake Stampeders In the 5.00 o'clock game -- it was Terrace River Kings 8-1 over the rambunctious Quesnel Kangaroos. This turned out to be simply not the 'Roos night - as both teams started off looking a bit rusty but Quesnel was also looking a bit off kilter and quickly fell into taking far too many unnecessary penalties allowing Terrace to score four power play goals. Period one was a bit more even as both teams tried to get their legs under them after a long layoff from game action. Terrace had a full line up, with some additions and some injured players back and played with better speed than Quesnel and it began to show through as Quesnel penalties mounted through the second period. Teams exchanged early goals Terrace getting on the board through Lee Muir who broke in alone and beat Ryan Manderson high at 5,10 of the period. It took Quesnel 31 seconds to tie on a seagull goal by Waylon L'Heureux, Goals from Joey Cormano, (2) Steve Cullis (2) Derek Jurista, Rajan Sangha and Tristan Murray, five of them in the third period, including two of the four power plays gave Terrace the win.. In the 8.00 p.m. game Kitimat Ice Demons cemented their 6-2 win over the Williams Lake Stampeders with a strong third period in which the they scored three goals to stretch a tight 3-2 lead at the end of two, into the winning margin. The Ice Demons were ready for this one, skating hard against an unfamiliar Williams Lake lineup, missing many regulars, including star player Francis Johnston. A 2-0 lead early in the first on goals from from Josh Slanina (Kyle Madsen) and Jeremy Brady (Jon Aiken, Scott McGregor) in the first eight minutes, inexplicably slipped away inside two minutes of play -- the last 49 seconds of the first period and the first 50 seconds of the second period, when Stamps got two short-handed goals from Dylan Richardson (both assisted by Aaron Zurak) but the Ice Demons got a break on a lucky goal - a second for Josh Slanina from behind the Stamps net, that bounced in off goaltender Justin Foote's back to give the Demons a 3-2 lead at the second intermission. But it was all Demons in the third -- goals from Wade Masch (with an assist to Josh Slanina), then Josh Slanina's hat trick goal (Ben Rumley, Jeff Mildenberger) and a last minute counter from Terry Whelan (Jeff Baker, Derek Wakita) combined to make it 6-2, a bitter blow for Williams Lake who played really well for two periods but only managed five shots in the third, as Demons out-shot them 36-28. Tonight - 5.00 p.m. - it's Williams Lake v Terrace and at 8.00 p.m. it will be Demons v Quesnel