PHOTO: Tami Quan
WEST KELOWNA, B.C. – The West Kelowna Warriors dropped their first game in regulation since November 14th as they fell to the Cranbrook Bucks by a 6-4 score on Saturday night at Royal LePage Place.
Eight goals highlighted the opening period in what was a wild beginning to a game that had a little bit of everything. Cranbrook got an early lead with Jacob Fletcher scoring 2:44 into the contest before Michael Salandra evened the score with a shorthanded goal, the seventh of the season for West Kelowna.
Bucks starting goaltender Carter Capton came out of his net to play the puck in the left wing corner and sent the puck up the boards before Salandra intercepted and found the back of an open goal for his 12th marker of the season at 4:48 to tie the game.
Cal Hughes earned his 14th goal of the season just over two minutes later at the 6:54 mark of the opening period, completing a nice dish from Jack Pridham in the right face-off circle that pushed West Kelowna ahead by a 2-1 score.
The Bucks rattled off four consecutive goals in a span of just under 12 minutes to get their lead back with Blake Cotton getting the tying marker at 8:48 of the opening period before Julian Frias added a power play goal that pushed the Bucks back ahead by a goal at 10:51 of the frame.
Another power play helped Cranbrook to gaining a two-goal advantage as Luke Pfoh got the visitors their fourth goal of the period at 14:02 before Evan Brown capped off the five-goal 1st period for Cranbrook with his tally at 16:46 that gave the Bucks a three-goal edge.
Before the opening period was out, Brennan Nelson tapped in a backdoor pass from Isaiah Norlin to get the Warriors into the intermission with some momentum as his 7th goal of the season made the score 5-3 in the final 32 seconds of a goal-filled opening frame.
The Warriors earned a four-minute power play to begin the second period and used that to their advantage with Norlin tallying his third point of the game with his 7th goal of the season just over a minute into the frame that got West Kelowna within a goal at 5-4.
The scoring came to an abrupt end after that tally as both teams settled in defensively and Cranbrook continued to hold their one-goal advantage well into the 3rd period before Jaden Fodchuk pushed the Bucks back ahead by two goals with a late dagger at the 15:42 mark of the 3rd period.
Bringing on an extra attacker, the Warriors attempted to get back in the game but could not solve Danick Leroux in the Bucks net and fell for the first time in nearly two months in regulation. Rorke Applebee started the game for the Warriors, turning aside 4 of 7 shots before being relieved by Matthew DellaRusso as he made 2 saves on 4 shots and lost his 1st game of the season. Applebee returned to make 15 saves on 16 shots after the 2nd period.
Carter Capton earned the win in net, his 5th of the season, in making 10 saves on 14 shots before leaving due to injury and having Leroux take over, making saves on each of the 16 shots he faced in relief.
FINAL SCORE: 6-4 Bucks
SHOTS ON GOAL: 30-27 Warriors
WARRIORS PP: 1/4
WARRIORS PK: 3/5
3 STARS:
1) Luke Pfoh (1-1-2)
2) Isaiah Norlin (1-2-3)
3) Blake Cotton (1-1-2)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game: Trey Ausmus (0-0-0)
ATTENDANCE: 986
The Warriors (21-7-4-0) will keep working on their four-game home stand with another weekend of games at Royal LePage Place beginning on Saturday, January 13th as they host the Cowichan Valley Capitals (9-19-1-1) for the lone time this season. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM with tickets available for purchase on the Warriors website as well as in-person at the Box Office ahead of the opening puck drop.
