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In a battle for first place overall, the Kelowna Chiefs maintained their one-point lead atop the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League standings with a dominating 8-1 victory over the host 100 Mile House Wranglers on Saturday.
Zach Erhardt’s 30th and 31st goals of the season and his two assists led the way as the Okanagan Division-Chiefs recorded their 41st win in 46 games and improved to 85 points, one more than the Kimberley Dynamiters of the KI’s Eddie Mountain Division.
Linemate Brody Dale, the league’s runaway points leader with 117, contributed two goals — his 47th and 48th — and set up Kayson Gallant (two assists) for another while Ryan Stack also scored twice to bring his goal total of 15 in the past 10 games.
Lane Paddison rounded out the scoring for the Chiefs who jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period against the 24-18-1-0-3 Wranglers and held a 7-0 margin going into the third period.
Braeden Mitchell stopped 21 of 22 shots to record his 24th win in 29 starts this season.
In top spot with a 35-point margin over the second-place Summerland Steam in the Okanagan Division, the playoff-bound Chiefs begin the final week of the regular season today in Kamloops when they take on the 19-24-0-1-2 Storm.
Shane Zilka is expected to be in goal against the Storm, looking to extend his KIJHL record of four straight shutouts.
The Chiefs will close out the regular season with a pair of home games at the Rutland Arena. They’ll play host to the Revelstoke Grizzlies on Friday and close out with the Princeton Posse on Saturday. Puck drop for both games is 7 p.m.
The first round of the KI playoffs begins Feb. 26.
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