#19 Carter Wilkie has been heavily relied on with Elan Bar Lev Wise, Carter Schmidt & Marcus Joughin out of the lineup
Photo Credit: Lisa Mazurek Photography
April 25th, 2021
West Kelowna, B.C. – The West Kelowna Warriors head back to Vernon for games 13 and 14 of the Pod Season starting Sunday evening.
The Warriors are coming off their first losing streak of the pod season since the opening weekend. First it was a 5-2 loss over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks last Wednesday, then the Warriors couldn’t generate much offense Friday night after suffering a 2-0 loss over the Vernon Vipers. For the past 3 games, the Warriors have dressed only 10 forwards and 8 blue liners. Two weeks ago the Warriors lost their Captain Elan Bar Lev Wise with suspension. Then last week the Warriors lost their number one centre and leading scorer Marcus Joughin after suffering an upper body injury. This puts a lot of pressure on veteran Carter Wilkie to carry the offensive load and provide leadership up front.
Sunday April 25th VS Salmon Arm Silverbacks: 6:00pm
The Warriors thought they finally solved the Silverbacks last Sunday evening but Simon Tassy had other plans scoring 4 points to complete the comeback. During Wednesdays game versus the Silverbacks, the Warriors lost 5-2. It was a game where 3 out of the 5 goals went off Warriors sticks and past Johnny Derrick. Some unlucky bounces were the difference in that one. Warriors Assistant Coach Ayrton Nikkel knows the Silverbacks have the top offense in the pod and specifically their top line needs to be neutralized. The line of Sullivan Mack, Simon Tassy and Noah Serdanchny are proving they are the best line in the BCHL combining for a total of 52 points. The rest of the Silverbacks team have combined for 66 points.
Monday April 26th VS Vernon Vipers: 7:30pm
The Vipers finally ended their losing streak to the Warriors last Friday after winning 2-0. It was a game where Warriors goaltender Johnny Derrick stood tall but his forward group was unable to provide enough offense. The Vipers sit a top of the Pod standings after the win over the Warriors. A difference maker this time around is the potential return of Marcus Joughin to the Warriors lineup. Joughin provides a major boost to the Warriors lineup on both sides of the ice not to mention he quarterbacks the 2nd unit powerplay that hasn’t been able to score since he went down. It is unclear if Joughin will be able to slot back into the lineup, but if he can for this game, it provides a major boost.
Puck drop for the Warriors on Sunday will be 6:00pm versus the Silverbacks and Monday at 7:30pm versus the Vipers. Catch broadcasts on BCHL TV (formally HockeyTV) or tune into the Warriors MixIr radio station.
