Daniel Buchanan had his first three-goal game of the season Saturday as the Kamloops Storm snapped an eight-game losing streak with an 8-3 victory over the Grand Forks Border Bruins at McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre.

Buchanan added an assist as the Storm won for just the second time in 21 games. Kamloops (14-24-2-4) remains in playoff posisition in the KIJHL’s Doug Birks Division, as the Border Bruins went into Chase and beat the fifth-place Heat 3-2 on Sunday.

Connor Fortems, with two, Ryan Skinner, Mike Matthies and Jason Anderson also scored for the Storm on Saturday. Blake Culbert and Ryan Keis each had three assists, and Josh Rasmussen had two helpers.

Ty Hamer-Jackson made 24 saves, 11 fewer than Grand Forks’ Dominic Stadnyk.

Dakota Kittle, Connor Bown and Coleton Dawson had the goals for Grand Forks, which had the game tied 2-2 early in the second period before allowing five straight goals.

Kamloops is off to Sicamous to play the Eagles on Friday night.

The Border Bruins, who have the league’s worst record, got some redemption in Chase. Monty Chisholm, a Kamloops Minor Hockey Association product who recently joined Grand Forks, opened the scoring. The 16-year-old now has two goals in three games.

Dawson made it 2-0 in the second period, before Chase’s Levi Chamberlain and Marc MacKenzie scored to tie it up. Adam Struch, another KMHA product making his debut for the Border Bruins, scored a power-play goal in the third period.

Robert Dunsmuir stopped 48 shots for Grand Forks, while Devon Pearson turned aside 22 in the Chase goal.
Chase lost 4-3 to the visiting North Okanagan Knights on Saturday.

Matty Saharchuk, Mac Ferner, Connor Richards and Mat Lambert scored for the Knights, who got 15 saves from Austin Buzzell. MacKenzie, Shelby Kostyshen and Michael Rand replied for Chase, and Jacob Mattes stopped 43 shots in the loss.

Chase (9-28-3-2) is home to the Princeton Posse on Friday, before coming to Kamloops to play the Storm on Saturday.