PHOTO: Garrett James/BCHL
The West Kelowna Warriors swept their Bauer BCHL Showcase schedule with a 5-3 victory over the Coquitlam Express on Thursday afternoon.
The Warriors, as they have for every game of the 2016/17 season, got on the board first and it came courtesy of Quin Foreman. After a pass from the right wing on a 2-on-1 from Mitch Martan, Foreman corralled and buried a wrist shot past Coquitlam netminder Reid Cooper to make it 1-0 for the Warriors.
The Express would get the game even on a poor line change from the Warriors giving Hayden Knight space to score his first BCHL goal at the 9:18 mark of the 1st period.
The Warriors erupted for four-second period goals, starting with another one from you guessed it, Quin Foreman. Just 11 seconds into the middle stanza, Foreman let a wrister past Cooper for the 2-1 West Kelowna lead and his 5th goal of the BCHL Showcase.
Mitch Barker scored what may be the easiest goal of his career, after finding a loose puck the was deflected toward the goal off a Stephen Kleysen point shot for his 2nd of the season and a 3-1 West Kelowna lead at 10:26 of the middle stanza.
Reed Gunville added to the Warriors lead just 27 seconds later on a power play. Gunville buried his 2nd goal of the season on a rebound off a Jake Harrison point shot to put the Warriors up by a 4-1 score.
West Kelowna continued to pile on the goals as Mitch Martan got involved with his first BCHL goal, potting a loose puck from Connor Sodergren after a misplay by Cooper behind his own goal, making it 5-1 Warriors at the 17:35 mark.
Just 32 seconds after the Martan marker, Cameron Bertsch gave the Express their second goal of the game before the period was out, converting on a scramble in front of Warrior goaltender Shane Farkas.
Luca Leone added the only tally of 3rd period, a nice dangle and toe drag move inside the Warriors zone and beat Farkas through the five hole but it was too little, too late for the Express as West Kelowna took the game by a 5-3 score.
The Warriors pumped 42 shots on goal in the matinee affair as Reid Cooper made 37 shots while Shane Farkas turned aside 22 of the 25 shots he faced.
West Kelowna (4-1-0-0) will return to Royal LePage Place and start a five game home stand on Tuesday, September 27th against the Merritt Centennials. Puck drop is at 7:00 pm with pre game starting at 6:50 pm on FASTHockey pay-per-view and the Warriors Internet Network.
