Photo Credit: Tami Quan Photography
OCTOBER 9TH 2020
West Kelowna B.C. – Warriors late push falls short as the Salmon Arm Silverbacks skate to a 5-4 victory.
Trying to take advantage of a Salmon Arm Silverbacks that was idle last weekend, The West Kelowna Warriors came out of the gate looking to set the pace of play. After a successful penalty kill within the first 3 minutes of the game the Warriors would get a couple looks of their own with the man advantage. The special teams units would generate multiple scoring chances but failed to cash in. Salmon Arm would open the scoring shortly after. A turnover behind the Warriors net would prove costly as the puck would find Drew Bennett alone in the slot. His goal would give the Silverbacks their first lead of the Okanagan Cup. The penalty box doors would then start revolving for both teams. On their 5th power play of the period, William Deveaux would tip one home. His first in a Warriors uniform would send the teams into the first intermission locked at a goal a piece.
Two Warriors penalties late in the first period would carry over into the second and Salmon Arm was quick to capitalize. Simon Tassy would get a powerplay marker 22 seconds in. 1:58 later Danny Ciccarello would give the visitors the two goal lead. Rookie Defenceman Charles-Alexis Legault would then cut the lead back down to one. However, Ciccarello’s second of the night would once again restore the two goal lead for the Silverbacks. Head Coach Simon Ferguson would use the media timeout to send in goaltender Johnny Derrick in to replace Jay Thomson who was making his first start with West Kelowna.
Ciccarello would continue his banner evening into the third, scoring his third of the night to register his first hat trick in the BCHL. His goal would push the Silverbacks ahead by three and prove to be the game winner. Carter Wilkie and Deveaux’s second would bring the Warriors to within one but they were unable to find a tying goal with the extra attacker. The loss moves West Kelowna to a 2-2-0-1 record as they remain second in the Okanagan Cup standings.
These two teams will battle again tomorrow night, Saturday October 10th. Puck drop is at 6:30pm from the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm BC. The game will be broadcasted on HockeyTV, the Warriors MixIr Network, and the Shaw Spotlight Channel. A reminder that no fans will be allowed in the Shaw Centre. Warriors fans will also be able to catch the game at Wings West Kelowna. Wings will be broadcasting every Warriors game appearing on the Shaw Spotlight Channel for the remainder of the Okanagan Cup.
