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West Kelowna Warriors to meet Vernon Vipers in first round of BCHL playoffs

West Kelowna took the season-series 5-1
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West Kelowna Warriors defenceman Tyson Jugnauth tries to slow down the progress of Vernon forward Zack Tonelli during the Warriors’ 6-1 BCHL win over the Vipers Sunday, March 20, at Royal LePage Place. (Tami Quan Photography)

With a week left in the BCHL regular season, it has already been determined that the West Kelowna Warriors and the Vernon Vipers will meet in the first round.

The Warriors have clinched third place in the Interior division while the Vipers have clinched sixth, meaning the Warriors will have home-ice advantage in the series.

The Warriors, won the season series 4-1, outscoring Vernon 20-12.

Felix Trudeau has been one of the leaders for the Warriors this season. He leads the team with 61 points in 49 games played.

Luke Buss, meanwhile, is the leading scorer for Vernon this season. He has 35 points in 47 games played.

West Kelowna last won the Fred Page Cup (BCHL Championship) back in 2016. Vernon won the title three years in a row from 2009-2011.

The 2019-2020 season was the last time the Warriors made the playoffs, where they lost in the first round to Penticton. Vernon advanced to the second round that year, though the rest of the playoffs were cancelled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The last time these two teams played each other in the playoffs was in the 2013-14 season where Vernon beat West Kelowna in the second round series, 4-2.

The first round of the series will begin on Friday, April 1.



Jordy Cunningham

About the Author: Jordy Cunningham

Hailing from Ladner, B.C., I have been passionate about sports, especially baseball, since I was young. In 2018, I graduated from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops with a Bachelor of Journalism degree
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