PHOTO: Tami Quan Photography
West Kelowna – The Warriors concluded their 2024 preseason on Sunday afternoon with a messy 2-0 victory over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks at Royal LePage Place.
The game was messy for one simple reason: Discipline.
Neither club could stay out of the box for the duration of the hockey game, as the two teams combined for 30 penalty minutes, which, astonishingly, resulted in zero Powerplay goals. The Warriors finished the afternoon 0/5 with the man advantage, while the Silverbacks went 0/6.
Between the pipes, it was another strong showing for Ayo Ogini, who was perfect once again, stopping all 22 shots for his second shutout of the preseason. The Surrey native has turned heads throughout the exhibition schedule, and looks to be making a strong push to dress on opening night. Ogini finishes the preseason with as perfect a record as a goaltender can put up; 2-0 with no goals allowed. Bravo, Ayo.
Goals were few and far between in this one, as Landen Hilditch got the lone goal in the first period, off a point shot through a sea of legs. No one was more surprised about the goal than Hilditch himself, who was seen smiling ear-to-ear on the bench following his first of the preseason. The Warriors wouldn’t get another until late in the third, when Eliot Compton sent an unassuming backhander towards the net, handcuffing ‘Backs netminder Andrew Ballantyne, and banking off the ‘tenders skate and in.
West Kelowna finishes their preseason with a 3-1 record, and now set their sights on BCHL Opening Night this Friday, when they’re in Cranbrook to take on the Bucks. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00PM PST.
