Photo: #33 Johnny Derrick sealed the deal stopping 27 of 30 shots Saturday night
Photo Credit: Tami Quan Photography
April 2nd, 2022
WEST KELOWNA B.C. – The West Kelowna Warriors answer back and win game two to tie the best of seven series up at 1-1.
The Warriors got off to the start they needed with John Evans scoring only 3:52 into the game after taking an outlet feed from Charles Alexis Legault. The Vipers would tie it up on the powerplay with Reagan Millburn firing a shot off the right side circle top corner. The Warriors would restore the lead on the powerplay with just over 3 minutes to go with Tyler Cristall taking a Tyson Jugnauth pass beating Vipers goaltender Roan Clarke to make it 2-1 heading into the second.
Second period the Warriors out worked the Vipers and earned a couple more goals. First Dylan Brooks would fire a shot from the point which would get redirected by Marcus Joughin and in to make it 3-1 Warriors. Then after the Vipers top line iced the puck the line of Nelson, Joughin and Roukounakis would go to work with Joughin winning a battle in the half boards and finding Nick Roukounakis. Roukounakis would fire a wrist shot past Roan Clarke to extend the lead to 4-1.
Warriors needed to close out the third period in style. It appeared the Warriors put the game out of reach with Tyler Cristall scoring another powerplay goal to make it 5-1 with 15 minutes to go, but the Vipers had other plans. Only 8 seconds later Seiya Tanaka-Campbell would score his 1st of the playoffs and then Reagan Millborn would score his 2nd of the game to make it 5-3 Warriors. The Vipers would keep pressuring inside the Warriors zone but Johnny Derrick was able to keep it a two goal game stopping 27 of 30 shots. Warriors would skate off with a 5-3 victory.
FINAL SHOTS: 30-29 Vipers.
The Warriors are back in action Monday night for Game #3 of the playoffs when they take on the Vernon Vipers. Puck drop 7:00pm PST from Kal Tire Place in Vernon. Catch broadcasts on Shaw Spotlight channel, BCHL TV (formally HockeyTV) or tune into the Warriors MixIr radio station.
