Dineen Cup Championship Day 2 Recap | River Hawks Advance, South Shore Stays Alive

Day 2 of the 2026 Dineen Cup Championship at the Mountain America Center delivered two tightly contested matchups, including a comeback win and a defensive battle that sends Grand Junction to the Final.

South Shore Kings 3, P.A.L. Junior Islanders 2
South Shore kept their season alive with a third-period comeback victory over P.A.L. After falling behind 2-1 in the opening frame, the Kings responded late, getting goals from Andrew Jensen and Felix-Antoine Laflamme in the third period to secure the win. Jake Kavanagh also scored for South Shore, while Tommy Sheehan and Billy Collins tallied for P.A.L.

Grand Junction River Hawks 1, Idaho Falls Spud Kings 0
In a defensive showdown, Grand Junction punched their ticket to the Dineen Cup Final with a 1-0 win over host Idaho Falls. After two scoreless periods, Noah Lasker broke through in the third period for the game’s only goal. The River Hawks held off a strong push from the Spud Kings, who outshot Grand Junction 30-20, to secure the shutout victory. Goaltender Simon Zille posted a 30 shot shutout.

With the win, the River Hawks advance to the Dineen Cup Final, while South Shore moves on to face Idaho Falls in an elimination game for the final spot, marking the second matchup between the two teams at the 2026 Dineen Cup Championships.

2026 Dineen Cup Championships Schedule

Dineen Cup Championship – April 24-28, 2026 (all times MDT)

All Games To Be Played At Mountain America Center, Idaho Falls, ID

Double Elimination Format

April 26:

7:00 PM – Idaho Falls Spud Kings vs. South Shore Kings (Elimination / Winner advances to Final)

April 27:

7:00 PM – 2-1 vs 2-0 (Final #1)

April 28:

7:00 PM – 3-1 vs 2-1 (Final #2, if necessary)*

* = The Mountain Division representative in Game 1 will be either the Mountain Division Champion if the Spud Kings do not win the division championship, or the Mountain Division finalists if the host Spud Kings are the division champions.