Photo Credit: Snap Commercial Photography
February 8th, 2019
WEST KELOWNA B.C. –The West Kelowna Warriors(23-20-0-1) kick off a three game road trip versus the number one ranked club in the BCHL the Chilliwack Chiefs(38-12-1-0).
WARRIORS VS CHIEFS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE:
Tuesday Oct 16th @ West Kelowna LOSS 5-1
Friday February 8th @ Chilliwack 7pm
The Warriors are coming off a heartbreaking 2 game sweep at the hands of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks last weekend. First it was a 5-1 loss at the Shaw Centre, and then a 6-3 loss the next night in West Kelowna. It was a game the Warriors were leading 3-0 after 30 minutes of play, but the lead was erased after the Silverbacks gained momentum scoring a pair of goals at the end of the second frame. The Silverbacks would score 4 unanswered goals to make it 6-3, leaving the fans inside Royal LePage Place stunned. Warriors Assistant Coach Matt Miller had plenty of things to say about his teams play and what they needed to work on, “We focused on getting back to our systems and what made us successful for the first half of the game on Saturday. We started to play a long game and trying to stretch the play and not supporting each other in all three zones. This week our teams focus at practise is playing as a whole unit of 5.”
Tonight the Warriors will venture to Prospera Centre in Chilliwack to face the defending RBC Champion Chilliwack Chiefs. Last time the Warriors faced the Chiefs was back in October where the Chiefs dominated the Warriors in West Kelowna by a score of 5-1. This road trip is important for the Warriors with their current placement in the BC Interior Division and the playoffs approaching. After the game Friday night in Chilliwack the Warriors will travel to Powell River to face the Kings, and then the next afternoon in Port Alberni when the Warriors battle the Bulldogs. Warriors Assistant Coach Matt Miller knows this first game is the most important, “Chilliwack is one of the best teams in our league and are tough to beat at home. They play with speed and like to control the pace of play. That’s the way we play as a team too so I think that can play to our advantage and if we are playing with speed like we know we can we have a chance at starting this road trip off in the right foot.”
The Warriors are currently sitting in 6th place in the Interior Division with 53 points. 1 point behind the Vernon Vipers and 5 points ahead of the Trail Smoke Eaters. The Chilliwack Chiefs are sitting in first place in the Mainland Division – 7 points ahead of the Prince George Spruce Kings.
Catch tonight’s game on Mixlr and Hockey TV. Warriors Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations Chase Johnston is back on the mic with a pregame show 10 minutes before puck drop. Just a reminder that tickets are still available for the Warriors next home game Saturday February 16th versus the Vernon Vipers. Visit the Warriors website and select single game tickets for more details.
