PJHL Media
Through two games of the Stonehouse Cup Finals, the Richmond Sockeyes and Ridge Meadows Flames have lived up to the billing as the PJHL’s top two teams, who each finished well out of reach of the second-place finishers in their respective conferences.
In the Finals so far, the Sockeyes and Flames have combined for six lead changes, six power-play goals, an overtime game, stifling defence and offensive outbursts.
The stars have come out to shine as well. PJHL scoring champ Justin Grant scored the first goal of the series late in the first period of Game 1 for Richmond only to have Ridge Meadows top offensive producer Theo Kochan reply in the second. Sockeyes’ super rookies Nicholas Noren and Wiliam Huo each hit the scoresheet in Richmond’s Game 2 response while Jakob Loewen, the PJHL’s highest-scoring blueliner, has registered offence in Game 1 and 2.
Power play production has been a major factor in the series. Jack Foster scored the OT winner on the man advantage in Game 1 for Ridge Meadows while Richmond scored twice on the power play as part of a four-goal third period, coming back to claim Game 2.
Richmond is also running with Noah Stenvig in net. The 6-foot-5 goaltender went 6-0 down the stretch after joining the club in late December and has fashioned a .914 save percentage in two Finals game. He came on in relief of Game 3 of the conference finals against Delta and has played every minute since. Stenvig was a WHL draft pick of the Winnipeg Ice (now the Wenatchee Wild) and spent part of this season with both Wenatchee and the Tri-City Americans.
Ridge Meadows’ OT win in Game 1 ensured them the split at Richmond’s Minoru Arena and now they get to return to Cam Neely Arena Planet Ice where they have sustained just one loss in 2024. That defeat was a 4-2 setback on Feb. 2 at the hands of Richmond.
Game 3 goes Saturday, March 23 in a 7:30 p.m. puck drop at The Cam.
