Junior identical twins Benjamin Cameron and Alexander Cameron have turned that connection into a winning combination on the ice for the Pioneers.

“I feel like we always know where each other are and we just have good hockey sense together,” Benjamin said.

The hockey sense was on display in Kirkwood’s opening round game against Parkway South in the Mid-States Club Hockey Association Challenge Cup playoffs.

Benjamin Cameron scored four times, thanks in part to three assists from Alexander Cameron, to lead the Pioneers to a 6-2 win at the Queeny Ice Rink on Monday night.

Kirkwood (18-4-3), the No. 2 seed, will face either No. 3 De Smet or No. 8 Chaminade on Wednesday at the Centene Community Hockey Center.

“Every team deserves to be here and you have to humbly and respectively go about playing whoever your opponent is,” Kirkwood coach Mark Fischer said. “There are no easy games. Whoever that team is, they deserve to be here, and we have to put forth our best effort to win.”

It was the third hat trick and first four-goal effort of the season for Benjamin Cameron, who also had one against Fox on November 3 and against St. Louis U. High on January 1.

“I just had a good pregame meal … and just converted it into the game,” Benjamin, whose go-to pregame dish is chicken and pasta.

The Cameron brothers are Kirkwood’s leading scorers this season. Benjamin Cameron has 29 points (16 goals, 13 assists) and Alexander Cameron has 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists).

“They are two very talented offensive players, but what really kind of drives the line and is the engine of it all is Austin Tyler, their centerman,” Fischer said. “He does a good job of putting it on their sticks and they do a good job of finishing.”

Alexander Cameron and Jake Gould also scored, while Branson Appelman made 17 saves for Kirkwood.

Owen Copp and Brendan Foshee scored for Parkway South (18-5-2) and Chase Hovan made 24 saves. The Patriots will play the loser of De Smet and Chaminade in an elimination game at Centene on Tuesday.

Benjamin Cameron’s power play goal, a quick wrist shot from the right circle, gave Kirkwood the lead just 67 seconds into the game.

Benjamin Cameron struck again 90 seconds later to make it 2-0 Pioneers. Tyler, just as he did on the first goal, was credited with an assist along with Alexander Cameron.

“Especially like the game tonight where he’s buzzing, I’ve just got to find him in the zone and he’ll bury it,” Alexander Cameron said.

Parkway South evened the game with a pair of power play goals just 89 seconds apart late in the first.

Copp got the rally started, scoring on a rebound off a Connor Steifer shot. Foshee followed by finding a loose puck amid a skirmish in front of the Kirkwood net.

“Penalties didn’t help us at all tonight and when you’re on the kill against a good team like that, they’re going to make you pay,” Parkway South assistant coach Patrick Gifford said.

Kirkwood reclaimed the lead 23 seconds into the second period as the puck went into the net off Hovan’s stick as he attempted to stickhandle it. Gould was credited for the goal for the Pioneers.

Benjamin Cameron completed the hat trick with some help from his brother to give Kirkwood a 4-2 lead with 30 seconds left in the second.

Fittingly, the Camerons combined for the game clincher, but this time it was Benjamin setting up Alexander for a goal midway through the third period.

“That’s our play,” Alexander said. “He drives through the middle of the ice, but he chips it off the boards and I come in and I go 1-on-1 with the D.”

Alexander returned the favor for Benjamin’s fourth tally a few minutes later.

There is no time for the Patriots to dwell on the loss with the quick turnaround.

“We’ve got to keep playing Parkway South hockey,” Gifford said. “We’ve got to move the puck, share the puck, we’ve got get it in deep, we’ve got to cycle it, we’ve got to get shots on the net and do what we do.”