Warriors rebound vs. Oilers
The West Kelowna Warriors came out Saturday as if arguably their poorest effort of the season 24 hours earlier never happened.
The Warriors played a solid 60 minute game in blanking the visiting Okotoks Oilers 4-0 Saturday.
West Kelowna held the visitors to just 15 shots including just eight over the final 40 minutes. And, when the Oilers did get a good chance, Angelo Zol was there to keep them at bay.
His best stop, a pad save off Hunter Sawka on a shorthanded breakaway late in the first with the Warriors nursing a slim 1-0 lead.
The goose egg was his sixth of the season, eclipsing the team record of four in a season set by Kevin Jebson during the 2009-2010 season.
“There was one squeaky one early on I was worried about, but after that he was locked in and made some big saves at timely moments,” said head coach Simon Ferguson.
“We didn’t give up a lot, but when we needed him he was there.”
For the most part, the Warriors were dialed in defensively, but on the four or five occasions the Oilers did get an odd-man break, the Warriors were very good at getting back to break up the play without a shot.
“Our tracking was really good. I didn’t like it at all last game.
“We put an emphasis on our backcheck and that’s what allowed us to transition and play in their zone.
“I am hoping everyone understands that and sees that and the process that goes into it.”
Blake Burke, as he did Friday, opened the scoring for the Warriors, burning a one-timer from the slot five-hole on Justin Giguere.
Captain Liam Nilsson doubled the lead just 62 seconds into the second. Dylan Krayer did all the work, circling the Oilers net and trying a wraparound that Giguere stopped. But the rebound popped right out to Nilsson who buried his 14th of the season.
Max Dinneen made it 3-0 burying a rebound late in the second before Nilsson got his second on a backdoor one timer late in the game on the power play.
The game devolved into a series of skirmishes late with Garrett Thom and Nate Porter eventually dropping the gloves in a spirited tilt.
The Warriors outshot Okotoks 36-15 on the night. They connected on one of three with the man advantage while not finding themselves shorthanded at all.
With Trail’s 2-1 overtime win in Cranbrook, the Warriors find themselves just one win or a Trail loss in regulation from clinching the Interior West Division title.
They can do that in Salmon Arm next Friday night.
