Photo Credit: Julie Pringle(Snap Photography)
November 16th, 2018
WEST KELOWNA B.C. – The West Kelowna Warriors fall to the Vernon Vipers by a score of 6-3 Friday night.
The Warriors have struggled to score first this season but it only took them 56 seconds to score the opening goal of the game. Wyatt Head was able to feed Cavin Tilsley with a slap pass to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead. Only 2 minutes later the Vipers would answer back with a quick goal from their veteran Josh Latta to tie the game. The Vipers would continue to pressure the Warriors which led to Brendan Kim to score his first BCHL goal and the Vipers took a 2-1 lead. The Warriors would respond in the last few minutes of the first period with a goal from Willie Reim assisted by Chase Dubois and Austin Chorney. The Vipers would regain the lead only 24 seconds later when Josh Latta would get hauled down on a breakaway which looked to be a penalty shot upcoming but Warriors goaltender Brock Baier noticed the puck wasn’t touched by a Warriors player and it went in before a Warrior player was able to touch the puck. It was a bit of a disastrous sequence for the Warriors that they wish they had back going into the 2nd period.
The turning point of the game had to be in the second period where the Vipers killed a power play to start the game allowing them to gain momentum and more pressure in the Warriors end allowing for former West Kelowna Warrior Matt Kowalski to score against his former club. Things began to fall apart for the Warriors with mistakes in their own end leading to Garrett Worth scoring his first BCHL goal only a minute later forcing Brock Baier out of his net for the second straight game.
In the third the Warriors would once again start the period on the man advantage but wouldn’t be able to capitalize. Viper goaltender Aiden Porter made numerous quality saves and the Vipers would take advantage of another Warriors turnover in their own zone leading to Brendan Kim scoring his second of the night giving the Vipers a 6-2 lead. Bennett Norlin would score his 10th of the season short handed but in the end it was too late.
Shots on goal 37-34 in favor of the Warriors.
3 Stars
- VER D Brendan Kim (2G)
- VER F Josh Latta (2G)
- VER F Matt Kowalski (1G-1A)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game:
WKW F Willie Reim (1G)
The Warriors next game is next Friday versus the Wenatchee Wild. Puck drop at 7:05pm from the Town Toyota Center. Catch Friday’s game and every other home and away game this season on Mixlr and Hockey TV. Just head to the Warriors website and click on the “Listen Live” column to get directed to a radio feed of each game.
