Team Sites
Follow the BCHL
BCHL

RECAP: Warriors Dispose Of Chiefs With 5-2 Win

PHOTO: Garrett James/BCHL

The West Kelowna Warriors opened their BCHL Showcase with an impressive performance, taking down the host Chilliwack Chiefs by a 5-2 score at Prospera Centre on Wednesday night.

The Warriors and Chiefs played to a scoreless first period despite some high energy action either way but both the Warriors goaltender Xavier Burghardt and Chiefs netminder Mark Sinclair stood tall, making 7 and 15 saves respectively.

The Warriors broke the deadlock just 43 seconds into the 2nd period on a nice redirect from Quin Foreman off a Stephen Kleysen shot to give West Kelowna a 1-0 lead early in the frame.

West Kelowna doubled their lead at the 8:00 mark with a Michael Ryan marker. Ryan took a pass in the slot and buried a wrister over the blocker of Sinclair for the 2-0 lead.

Quin Foreman was at it again, giving the Warriors a 3-0 lead on a wicked wrist shot from the right circle, finding some day-light and firing it past Sinclair on the power play for his second goal of the night at the 14:40 mark of the 2nd frame.

The Chiefs would get a goal before the period was out, a scramble that was put in by Jordan Kawaguchi to make it a 3-1 game after two periods.

Chilliwack made it a one-goal game at the 7:21 mark of the 3rd period on another scramble in front of the Warrior crease that was potted in by Kale Kane to close the deficit to 3-2.

Connor Sodergren provided the insurance marker with 5 minutes to go in the final stanza, being sprung on a breakaway from Tyler Anderson and buried a wrister on the blocker side to put West Kelowna up by a pair again at 4-2.

Foreman would complete his hat trick, scoring on an empty net shorthanded to ice a 5-2 victory in favour of the Warriors.

West Kelowna improves to 3-1 on the season with goaltender Xavier Burghardt going to 2-0 with a 31 save performance on Wednesday night. Mark Sinclair made 29 saves on 34 shots for the Chiefs.

It’s a quick turnaround for the Warriors as they will take on the Coquitlam Express for their 2nd and final BCHL Showcase game at 1:00 pm Thursday afternoon. Pre game is scheduled for 12:50 pm on FASTHockey pay-per-view and free audio on mixlr.com/bchlwarriors.