PHOTO: Tami Quan
WEST KELOWNA, B.C. – On a night of homecomings, debuts and clinches, the West Kelowna Warriors completed their home ice regular season schedule with a 4-3 triumph over the Powell River Kings on Friday night at Royal LePage Place.
With the win, the Warriors clinched 2nd place in the Interior Conference standings and now know they will face-off against the Cranbrook Bucks in the 1st round of the BC Hockey League Playoffs. A full schedule along with ticket details will be released on Saturday.
Former Warriors goaltender Justin Katz made his return to West Kelowna for the first time since being acquired by Powell River in January after playing two and half seasons with the Warriors. Katz was fantastic in the game, making 31 saves on 35 shots and some highlight reel denials, including a backdoor glove save on Eliot Compton on the goal line in the 3rd period.
Katz and the Kings were a tough cookie to crack through the opening period, a frame in which the Warriors outshot Powell River by a 13-5 margin and remained scoreless into the 2nd period where the Warriors finally broke the ice and came from a player making his BCHL debut.
Slated for an arrival in West Kelowna next season, Dylan Krayer made his impact felt with many chances in the opening period before tallying his first BCHL goal at the 14:32 mark of the 2nd period on a shot at the top of the crease that lifted over the glove shoulder of the right-handed catching Katz.
Adding to his team leading total, Felix Caron notched his 31st goal of the year at 17:28 of the middle frame courtesy of a stretch pass from Landen Hilditch in the neutral zone as Caron raced it down and plunked a shot past the blocker side of Katz for the two-goal advantage.
Carter Oakenfold collected a goal and an assist in the 3rd period and his marker on the power play at 3:57 of the final period pushed the Warriors to a 3-0 lead before Trent Wilson buried his 18th goal of the season at 6:25 of the frame and gave the Warriors a 4-0 cushion.
The Kings, battling for their playoff lives, did not go down without a fight and got back in the game thanks to a shorthanded goal from Christian Maro at 10:34 before a West Kelowna native in Zander Stewart tallied twice, once at 11:28, to make it a two-goal game before his second goal of the period closed the gap to just a single goal at 18:52 of the final period.
Powell River pulled Katz for an extra attacker but Rorke Applebee and the Warriors stood tall to earn win number 32 on the season and a 2nd place finish in the Interior Conference. Applebee turned aside 19 of the 22 shots thrown his way for his 24th victory in goal.
FINAL SCORE: 4-3 Warriors
SHOTS ON GOAL: 35-22 Warriors
WARRIORS PP: 1/4
WARRIORS PK: 2/2
3 STARS:
1) Dylan Krayer (1-0-1)
2) Felix Caron (1-1-2)
3) Zander Stewart (2-0-2)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game: Carter Oakenfold (1-1-2)
ATTENDANCE: 1,294
The Warriors (32-10-11-0) will conclude their regular season schedule with a trip to the South Okanagan and facing off against the Penticton Vees (38-9-3-3) on Sunday afternoon at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Puck drop is slated for 2:00 PM with the game being broadcasted live on AM 1150 as well as streamed online on FloHockey.
