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South Okanagan Flames continue season mastery of Vernon Tigers

Flames score twice in final minute to post 12-10 TOJLL win at Kal Tire Place
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South Okanagan Flames forward Cairo Rogers beats Vernon Tigers goalie Derek Pereboom for one of his four goals on the night as the Flames defeated the hometown Tigers 12-10 in Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League action Wednesday. (Roger Knox - Black Press)

Only once in their history entering the 2019 Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League season had the South Okanagan Flames beaten the Tigers in Vernon.

They doubled that output Wednesday night.

The Flames completed a regular season road sweep of the Tigers, scoring a 12-10 win at Kal Tire Place. South Okanagan went 2-0-1 in Vernon and are 4-0-1 against the defending champs with two meetings left, both at the Penticton Memorial Arena.

READ ALSO: South Okanagan Flames torch Vernon Tigers for 20

Jake Macleod’s powerplay goal at 19:07 of the third broke a 10-10 tie, and Fred Harbinson locked away the win with an empty net goal with 13 seconds remaining.

Cairo Rogers scored four times for the Flames, including three in the first period, and Alex Nimmo scored on the game’s first shot 20 seconds after the national anthem as the Flames led 5-4.

They extended the edge to 8-4 with three goals in the first five minutes of the second period before the Tigers roared back with four straight to make the game 8-8 heading into the third period.

Vernon took its only lead of the night two minutes into the final frame on an unassisted goal by Kaden Doughty, who had four markers in the game. Rogers tied the game at 7:49 of the period.

Macleod gave South Okanagan a 10-9 lead at 17:21 with the teams playing four-on-four when he picked up a loose ball that bounced over a Tigers defender in the Vernon zone, then put a shot through the legs of goalie Quintin Fisk.

Conor Webb tied the game with the goal of the night 44 seconds later, running down the left side then putting an over-the-shoulder shot into the top corner past a surprised Shaun Agostinho in the Flames goal.

Agostinho finished with 38 saves while Fisk and starter Derek Pereboom combined for 39 saves in goal for the Tigers. Fisk came in after the Flames made it 7-4 at the 4:33 mark of the second period.

South Okanagan (4-5-1) is now six points ahead of the Tigers (1-7-1) in the battle for second place, and home-floor advantage in the best-of-three league semifinal.

The Flames are seven points behind the front-running Kamloops Venom (8-1) who need only one point in their final five games to clinch first place and a bye into the league’s best-of-five final.

The Tigers, winless in six, host the Venom Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Kal Tire Place. Vernon visits the Flames Monday.



roger@vernonmorningstar.com

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