#25 Anthony Bishop
Photo Credit: Garrett James
February 14th, 2019
PRINCE GEORGE B.C. – The West Kelowna Warriors(27-25-0-1) look for the season sweep of the Prince George Spruce Kings(35-12-1-5) Thursday night.
WARRIORS VS SPRUCE KINGS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE:
Sept 21st @ Chilliwack (BCHL Showcase) WIN 4-2
Jan 20th @ West Kelowna WIN 6-1
Feb 14th @ Prince George
The Warriors are coming off their nightmare road trip which lasted 5 days ending with only 2 points. First it was a 2-1 loss to the Chilliwack Chiefs Friday night with the Warriors running into a hot goaltender in Daniel Chenard. Sunday afternoon the Warriors defeated the Alberni Valley Bulldogs by a score of 7-4. The Warriors would finish things off in Powell River with a loss versus the Kings by a score of 5-4. “We felt we played a pretty good 170 out of 180 minutes on the trip. Yes it’s disappointing to not make up any ground in the standings but we know that our game is starting to tighten up and that’s what we wanted. We need to find some points this weekend to make up for it.”
Tonight the Warriors head to Prince George to face the Spruce Kings, a club they’ve already played twice this season dating back to the BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack. The Warriors defeated the Spruce Kings both times, most recently a dominate 6-1 performance in Royal LePage Place Sunday January 20th. Both the Warriors players and coaches know that the real Spruce Kings team didn’t show up in West Kelowna and they expect a big push Thursday night.
The Warriors have had a tough time in smaller rinks this season. The Nicola Valley Memorial Arena in Merritt, and the Poirier Sports & Leisure Complex in Coquitlam have created problems for the Warriors allowing easy scoring chances and not being prepared for gadget plays off the boards. The Rolling Mix Concrete Arena in Prince George is no different than the others in the BCHL. Warriors Head Coach & General Manager Brandon West has had lots of experience coaching in the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena, “They play very well in their own barn. We have to be ready to play and make sure we are tough to play against.” This will also be a bit of a homecoming for Warriors forwards Chase Dubois, Brandon Dent, and Mason Richey who spent multiple years playing Midget hockey in Prince George.
The Warriors are currently sitting in 6th place in the Interior Division with 55 points. 1 point behind the Vernon Vipers and 5 points ahead of the Trail Smoke Eaters. The Prince George Spruce Kings are 2nd in the Mainland Division with 76 points. 5 points behind the Chilliwack Chiefs and 20 points ahead of the Coquitlam Express.
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.
