PHOTO: Julie Pringle/Snap Photography
The West Kelowna Warriors open up a four-game home stand when they take on the newest addition to the Interior Division in the Wenatchee Wild on Friday night at Royal LePage Place.
Warriors vs. Wild 2016/17 Season:
Friday, November 19th @ Royal LePage Place (4-2 Warriors) (BOXSCORE)
Saturday, November 26th @ Town Toyota Center (11-2 Wild) (BOXSCORE)
Warriors vs. Wild 2017/18 Schedule:
Friday, October 13th @ Royal LePage Place (7:00 PM)
Friday, November 10th @ Town Toyota Center (7:05 PM)
Saturday, December 2nd @ Royal LePage Place (7:00 PM)
Friday, January 12th @ Town Toyota Center (7:05 PM)
Saturday, January 13th @ Town Toyota Center (7:05 PM)
Tuesday, February 21st @ Royal LePage Place (7:00 PM)
The Warriors enter play on Friday after they picked up their fourth consecutive victory on Tuesday night with a 3-2 win against the Surrey Eagles on the Lower Mainland. Jared Marino scored for the third straight game while Peter Tomaras added his 2nd goal of the season and Bennett Norlin scored his second game-winning goal in the last three games in the come-from-behind effort for the Warriors. Cole Demers starting the game, making one save on three shots before being relieved by Nik Amundrud with the 20-year-old netminder turning aside all 31 shots he faced in the game for his 5th win of the season.
The two clubs faced off against each other twice during the 2016/17 season with both the Warriors and Wild picking up a win. The Warriors earned a 4-2 victory in West Kelowna in the middle of November while suffering their worst loss of the season one week later as they fell by an 11-2 score with Wenatchee picking up their first win over the Warriors during their BCHL history.
Warriors Leading Scorers:
Jared Marino (5-6-11)
Cavin Tilsley (3-8-11)
Matt Kowalski (5-4-9)
Michael Ryan (1-8-9)
Bennett Norlin (4-3-7)
The Warriors have gotten off to a hot start in their first 11 games of the season with an 8-3-0-0 record, including victories in four straight games. During that four-game stretch, the Warriors have outscored their opposition by an 18-7 margin, which has vaulted the Warriors to the top of the standings in both the Interior Division and the BCHL entering play on Friday night.
During that four-game winning streak, Jared Marino and Cavin Tilsley have been the heavy hitters for the Warriors offensively, along with line mate Bennett Norlin. The captain Marino has scored in three straight games to go along with eight points in that four-game span while Tilsley, who was just named as an honourable mention for the BCHL’s Player of the Week award, has three goals and nine points in his last four games. Norlin, the Air Force Academy commit, also has goals in three straight games and five points during that time as well. The Farmington, Minnesota native is the owner of two game-winning goals in the three he has scored so far this season.
The offense has been impressive for the Warriors over the last couple of weeks but the play inside the blue paint has been a strong reason for West Kelowna’s four straight wins. Nik Amundrud, who gets the nod in the Warriors net tonight, has won his last three starts and has earned a game star nod in two of those contests. The Melfort, Saskatchewan native holds a 1.67 GAA along with a superb .951 SV% in those three games and has vaulted himself to being tied for first in the league in wins with 5, 9th in GAA at 2.60 and 8th in SV% at .920.
The Wenatchee Wild come into Friday night sitting in 5th place in the tightly-contested Interior Division with a 6-3-1-0 record and most recently picked up their 6th victory on Wednesday night at home against the Vernon Vipers by a 3-2 score. Daniel Chladek, Chad Sasaki and Sam Hesler tallied in the victory for Wenatchee while Seth Eisele turned aside 11 of the 13 shots he faced in the game for his 4th win of the season.
Wild Leading Scorers:
Cooper Zech (3-12-15)
Jasper Weatherby (8-6-14)
Lucas Sowder (5-5-10)
Sam Morton (5-4-9)
Chad Sasaki (3-6-9)
The Wild have a much different looking team from a season ago with just 8 returning players from the 2016/17 squad that owned the best regular season record in the BCHL including captain AJ Vanderbeck, forwards August Von Ungern, Lucas Sowder, Sam Morton and Jasper Weatherby along with defensemen Chad Sasaki, Slava Demin and Jacob Modry.
The Wild power play has been a big reason for their success this season, scoring in their last two games on the man advantage and had the tying goal on Wednesday come via the extra man, putting the Wild in a tie, with the Penticton Vees, for the top ranked PP in the league at 25.7%. This will make for an interesting battle of the league’s best PP against the league’s best penalty kill as the Warriors PK sits at 90.4% in the top spot. Wenatchee’s penalty kill has also been very good this season, ranking 4th in the BCHL at 86.1% to go against the Warriors power play that ranks 7th at 22.0%.
The Warriors and Wild drop the puck on their new Interior Division rivalry at 7:00 PM with tickets available at the Warriors office or by calling (250) 769-7051. The Warriors continue their four-game home stand on Sunday afternoon when they host the Island Division’s Nanaimo Clippers for a 2:30 PM face-off.
The Warriors have introduced a new Fan’tatstic Five ticket package that gives fans a chance to experience five of the most highly anticipated games of the season for just $55.55 with games against the Wenatchee Wild, Penticton Vees, Salmon Arm Silverbacks, Vernon Vipers and Victoria Grizzlies. For more information on these packs and all ticket info, visit the Warriors office or call (250) 769-7051.
