PHOTO: Cherie Morgan
PENTICTON, B.C. – Trent Wilson scored twice and had three points as the West Kelowna Warriors finished their regular season schedule with a 5-1 victory over the Penticton Vees on Sunday afternoon at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
It only took 26 seconds for the Warriors to open the scoring and came courtesy of Sean Keohane to give the visitors an early lead. Cal Hughes deflected a puck from the left face-off circle to the slot as Keohane gathered the puck in the slot and beat Vees goaltender Andrew Ness on the blocker side with his 6th goal of the season to give West Kelowna a 1-0 lead.
Just over three minutes later, Trent Wilson added to the Warriors lead with a shorthanded tally to push West Kelowna to a 2-0 advantage. Wilson was sprung on a breakaway at centre ice and took a shot from the left face-off dot that beat Ness as the Warriors first two shots of the game found the back of the net for a two-goal lead.
The 2nd period, the Vees lost their grip on the game, spotlighted by James Fischer taking seven minutes of penalties after taking exception to a Viggo Nordström check and dropping his gloves while Nordström was on the ice. It was one of three instances in the period in which a Vees player had dropped their gloves when a Warrior player had not.
It was another two-goal period for the Warriors as Jack Pridham tripled the West Kelowna lead with his 23rd goal of the season at 7:48 mark of the 2nd period with a shot off the rush before the Warriors added another later in the period courtesy of a power play as Jackson Kyrkostas extended the West Kelowna advantage to four goals.
As part of the seven-minute power play that extended into the 3rd period, Wilson became the 6th Warrior this season to collect 20 goals on the year at the front of the net, taking a pass from Kyrkostas from below the goal line and buried a shot through Ness for his second goal of the night and 20th on the campaign to put the Warriors in complete control up 5-0.
Matthew DellaRusso got the nod in goal for the Warriors and was terrific in the game, having his shutout bid spoiled at the 9:34 mark of the 3rd period on a goal from Anselmo Rego but DellaRusso turned in his best performance of the season. Making 28 saves on 29 shots in his 7th win of the season. Andrew Ness turned away 33 of the 38 shots thrown his way in his 3rd loss of the season.
FINAL SCORE: 5-1 Warriors
SHOTS ON GOAL: 38-29 Warriors
WARRIORS PP: 2/6
WARRIORS PK: 4/4
3 STARS:
1) Trent Wilson (2-1-3)
2) Felix Caron (0-3-3)
3) Matthew DellaRusso (28 saves on 29 shots)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game: Callum Arnott (0-0-0)
Attendance: 2,720
The Warriors head into the BCHL Playoffs and begin their postseason with a best-of-seven Interior Conference Quarter Finals series against the Cranbrook Bucks. Game #1 of the opening round set will take place on Friday night at Royal LePage Place with a 7:00 PM puck drop. Playoff tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, April 2nd at 3:00 PM and are available online on Warriors website as well as at the Warriors Office and Box Office ahead of the game.
