RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna (Kelowna, BC) have won their second straight Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) U17 Prep Western Championship after defeating Calgary International Hockey Academy (Calgary, AB).
It was a battle of the last two U17 Prep Western Champions as RHA Kelowna came in as the defending champs, with CIHA having won in 2024.
After a shot in warmup broke the glass the start of this one was delayed a full hour. Once the action did start it was a slow start for both teams, as it appeared they were feeling each other out. RHA Kelowna would breakthrough late in the period as Cole Hamakawa (1G, 1A) took a backdoor pass from Kaustav Pradeep and fired it past a sprawling Colton Lutz (28/31). RHA Kelowna would have a chance to double the lead with just seconds remaining but Lutz would make one of the best saves of playoffs to keep it a 1-0 game heading into the second.
Like the first, the second started a bit slow until Charlie Schmitt tipped home a Baden Glithero point shot after an RHA Kelowna face-off win to Lutz’s right.
RKA Kelowna held a comfortable 2-0 lead until late in the second when Keegan Brown put home a rebound after a scramble in front to get CIHA on the board with four minutes left in the period. A lucky bounce would see the puck deflect to Chale Morgan, who made no mistake firing it past Dylan Mingo (33/35) into the empty net, tying the game just one minute later.
In the third RHA Kelowna would re-take the lead as Aiden Andrews took a great feed in front to put one into the empty net, giving his team the lead with 12:20 left to play. CIHA would make a late push but Mingo would make some big saves and Mason Alexander added a late empty netter as RHA Kelowna claimed the 4-2 win.
