The Creston Valley Thunder Cats and Golden Rockets clashed in a pivotal matchup Tuesday to help determine the KIJHL playoff picture in the Eddie Mountain Division.
At Golden Arena, the visiting Thunder Cats outshot the Rockets 36-29, scoring three unanswered goals to claim the 4-2 victory.
Creston’s Andrew Clark scored two goals for the Thunder Cats in the second period to even the game 2-2, before Travis Thorhaug and Ty Grisdale added two more goals in the third to seal the win. Clark (2G, 1A) led the Thunder Cats with three points while Thorhaug and Grisdale both added one assist to finish with two points on the night.
With the victory, Creston bounced back from their pair of losses to the Kimberley Dynamiters and Fernie Ghostriders this past weekend, and are just a few more wins away from securing the final playoff spot in the Eddie Mountain Division.
The Golden Rockets have now lost six straight games at the most inopportune time, as they now sit nine points back of Creston for the final playoff spot with just six games remaining on their regular-season schedule.
Eddie Mountain Division Standings
| TEAM | GP | W | L | T | OTL | PTS | GF | GA | DIFF | STR |
| yx Kimberley Dynamiters | 43 | 35 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 72 | 170 | 100 | 70 | W1 |
| x Fernie Ghostriders | 43 | 28 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 60 | 182 | 128 | 54 | W3 |
| x Columbia Valley Rockies | 43 | 22 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 50 | 149 | 126 | 23 | W3 |
| Creston Valley Thunder Cats | 41 | 19 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 44 | 139 | 157 | -18 | W1 |
| Golden Rockets | 43 | 16 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 35 | 137 | 159 | -22 | L6 |
y = Clinched Division, x = Clinched Playoff Spot