The Sockeyes sweep the Devils

The Richmond Sockeyes completed a sweep of the North Delta Devils 4 games to nothing Thursday night. Richmond outscored their opponent 23-7 over the 4 games. The series however, was much closer than this stat would suggest. Two of the games were 1 goal affairs, including game 2's double overtime marathon. The turning point of the series was game 2's injury to starting goaltender Tyler Read, which would lead to the Devils go down 2-0 despite outshooting the Sockeyes. 

Game 4 featured Richmond dominating the first period. Rudi Thorsteinson opened up the scoring 10:55 into the first period after a pretty play that resulted in a rebound. Tyler Read's return may have come a bit too late in the series for the Devils, but he returned in top form. After being peppered and outshot 17-3 after the first, Read's outstanding play kept the Devils into it going into the locker room down only 1-0.

The second period started much like the first ended, as Adam Nishi scored 1:55 into the second period showcasing his great skillset. The game would become a lot more even during the second period with both teams alternating with a pair of goals each. 

The third period became a lot more of a tight checking affair. The lone goal came with just over 5 minutes as Ben Vikich skated from the right wing and made a great individual play to beat Kootenay Alder in the short side. The Sockeyes sat back during those last few minutes ensuring no defensive breakdowns in order to secure the game and the series.

For the fourth straight year, the Sockeyes and Ice Hawks will meet in the Tom Shaw Conference Final. The series starts on Tuesday evening at the Ladner Leisure Centre. 

Three Stars:

1. Daniell Lange

2. Daniel Tait

3. Tyler Read