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RECAP: Chase Stevenson Plays Hero In Warriors 3-2 Overtime Win vs. Victoria

The West Kelowna Warriors used a 40-save performance from Gabriel Morency and an overtime winner from Chase Stevenson to propel themselves to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Victoria Grizzlies on Saturday night in front of big crowd at Royal LePage Place.

The Warriors opened the scoring at the 3:19 mark of the 1st period as a gorgeous passing play was capped off by Chase Stevenson. Quin Foreman chipped the puck to himself by the defense and passed to Connor Sodergren on the left wing for a 2-on-0 in tight. Sodergren’s pass found Stevenson from the circle and his shot beat Victoria netminder Tony Rehm for his 9th goal of the season and a 1-0 Warriors lead.

The Warriors doubled their lead at the 11:00 mark of period number one as Jon Russell was the beneficiary of a bouncing puck that found his stick in front of the crease where he made no mistake, putting the puck through the five hole of Rehm for his 9th goal of the season and a 2-0 Warrior lead in front of a big crowd at RLP.

The Grizzlies cut the deficit to one off of a turnover in the offensive zone that saw Brett Stirling find Cole Pickup at the Warriors blue line and his forehand-backhand move beat West Kelowna goaltender Gabriel Morency to the glove side at the 14:44 mark of the 1st period to cut the Warriors lead to 2-1.

Victoria capitalized on a miscue behind the Warriors net as Morency came out to play the puck but couldn’t get on the same page as the Grizzlies picked the puck off and Cameron Thompson centered out in front for Lucas Clark as he shot the puck upstairs for the 2-2 tie after 20 minutes of play.

Morency was very good in the opening period for the Warriors, stopping 13 of the 15 shots thrown his way while Victoria netminder Tony Rehm turned aside 7 of the 9 first period shots he faced in the game’s opening 20 minutes.

The 2nd period saw no scoring from either team with each goaltender keeping the game tied at two with Morency making 10 second period stops while Rehm turned aside all nine shots he faced in the middle stanza.

The final period of regulation saw much of the same as the Warriors and Grizzlies could not find the back of the net as Gabriel Morency stopped all 15 shots he faced in the final period of play in regulation while Tony Rehm stopped all six of the shots put his way in the 3rd sending the game into overtime tied at two.

Grizzlies captain Cody Van Lierop was assessed a goaltender interference penalty at the 3:39 mark of the first overtime period and the Warriors took advantage on a goal mouth scramble as Chase Stevenson buried his second goal of the game on the glove side of Rehm to give the Warriors their 27th win of the season, a 3-2 overtime victory over the Victoria Grizzlies.

The Warriors got a big performance from Gabriel Morency as he made 40 saves on 42 shots for his 5th victory of the season while Victoria netminder Tony Rehm stopped 29 of 32 shots in the losing cause.

FINAL SCORE: 3-2 (OT) Warriors

SHOTS ON GOAL: 42-32 Grizzlies

PP: Warriors (1/5) Grizzlies (0/2)

3 STARS:
1) Gabriel Morency (40 saves on 42 shots)

2) Chase Stevenson (2-0-2)

3) Cole Pickup (1-0-1)

ATTENDANCE: 1325

The Warriors (27-26-0-2) return to action on Tuesday night when they host the Penticton Vees (38-13-1-2) for their final home game on the regular season schedule. Tickets are available for purchase at the Warriors office or by calling Kim at (250) 769-7051.