After going undefeated and finishing a close second in the South Island midget Tier 1 playoffs, the Cowichan Valley Capitals have advanced to the Island semifinals.
The midget Capitals won two games and tied one, posting an identical record to Peninsula, but Peninsula edged Cowichan in terms of goal differential.
Cowichan opened the series by doubling up Juan de Fuca 4-2 on Jan. 25.
A week later, the Capitals played host to Peninsula at Fuller Lake Arena, and the teams skated to a 3-3 draw. Peninsula opened the scoring midway through the first period, then Cowichan got it back early in the second. The Eagles got back in front with two goals late in the second, but the Capitals scored two more early in the third and goalie Trent Baslee shut the door on Peninsula to preserve the tie.
“Peninsula is the highest-ranked team in our playoff division and the one we’d expect to have the most trouble with,” Cowichan manager Angela Stroble pointed out. “They narrowly beat us out in the finals for a berth into the provincials last year.
The Capitals closed out the round robin with a 5-0 win over Saanich at Archie Browning Arena on Sunday evening. Cowichan led 1-0 going into the third period, then iced the win with four more. Luke Handel had a hat trick, Andrew Strobl and David Eastman also scored, and Rhys Mazurenko and Matt Lemire had two assists apiece.
Cowichan will cross over to play Oceanside, the first-place team from the North Island playoffs, in an Island semifinal game this Sunday, hoping for another shot at Peninsula in the best-of-three Island final.