The West Kelowna Warriors winless stretch hit seven games on Friday night as the team fell at Frank Crane Arena to the Nanaimo Clippers by a 3-2 score.
The Warriors opened the scoring in this affair towards the tail end of the first period as Jon Russell sped through the neutral zone and beat two Clipper defenders and finished through the legs of Nanaimo netminder Evan DeBrouwer for his 2nd goal of the season and a beauty for the 1-0 lead at the 15:01 mark of the period.
That would be the only scoring in the opening frame as newcomer Trevor Martin opened his Warrior career with a solid first 20 minutes, making 8 saves.
The Clippers tied the game at the 4:59 mark of the 2nd period as Jamie Collins’ centering feed went off of a Warrior defensemen at the side of the goal and beat Martin to tie the game at one.
Just 13 seconds later, however, the Warriors got the goal back off a won face-off and Chase Dubois’ hard work, dragging the puck to his forehand in the left circle and beating DeBrouwer on the glove side for his 2nd goal of the season and a 2-1 Warrior lead at the 5:12 mark of the 2nd frame.
Nanaimo had an answer for that just over a minute later as on a Warrior power play, Matt Creamer went forehand-backhand on a breakaway shorthanded to tie the game at two goals a piece at the 6:20 mark of the 2nd and capping off a span of three goals in a matter of 1:21.
There was only one goal in the third period and the Clippers struck for that marker at the 13:28 mark of the final frame as Ben Solin broke through the Warrior defense on the power play and beat Martin with a shot on the high glove side to give the Clippers a 3-2 lead and eventually the victory.
Martin was terrific in the Warrior goal turning aside 29 shots on 32 attempts at the net while Evan DeBrouwer made 26 saves on 28 shots for the win.
The Warriors (5-9-0-1) continue on their Island road trip as they head to Duncan Saturday night as they play the Cowichan Valley Capitals (10-6-1-2) at the Island Savings Centre for a 7:00 pm puck drop on the Warriors Internet Network and the hockeytv.com.
