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RECAP: WARRIORS SNAP LOSING STREAK WITH 6-4 WIN OVER VIPERS

Photo Credit: Lisa Mazurek Photography 

February 21st, 2020

VERNON, B.C. – The West Kelowna Warriors snap their six game losing streak after winning 6-4 over the Vernon Vipers Friday night.

It was a nightmare start for the Warriors with forward Tyler Cristall taking a dangerous hit from Vipers Landon Fuller forcing Cristall to leave the game with a shoulder injury. The Warriors would immediately go on the powerplay but it was the Vipers that would get a shorthanded goal after Ben Helgeson sprung loose on a breakaway beating Johnny Derrick to make it 1-0 Vipers. The Warriors needed anything to get some momentum back and got a freak goal minutes later. After AP call up Brennan Nelson was able to keep the puck moving in the Vipers zone he would attempt to fire the puck around the boards, but the puck would go off a Vipers stick and bounce directly to the stick of Ryan Upson and in to tie it up at one. The Vipers would find a way to regain the lead after Ryan Shostak was able to capitalize off a Johnny Derrick rebound to make it 2-1 Vipers after one period of play. 

The Warriors got news that Tyler Cristall would not return to the game in the second which meant Ryan Upson would take his place on the top line, and Upson didn’t disappoint. With under five minutes remaining in the second, Upson would fire a shot towards Reilly Herbst, the shot would go off a Vipers player and right to the stick of John Evans and in to tie the game up at two. With under a minute remaining the Warriors would go on a powerplay and it would be Evans once again to give the Warriors their first lead of the game with a top corner wrist shot making it 3-2 Warriors heading into the dressing room.

The Vipers came out strong in the third getting on the board only 30 seconds in with former Warrior Max Bulawka scoring his first goal against his former club to tie it up at three. The Warriors would later capitalize on their chances with Drew Vieten going coast to coast and finding Levi Stauber scoring his 10th of the season to restore the lead for the Warriors making it 4-3. The Warriors were not done there. Drew Vieten would steal the puck away from Landon Fuller and feed Elan Bar Lev Wise and the former Viper extended the Warriors lead making it 5-3. The insurance goal proved to be the game winner after the Vipers Dawson Holt made it interesting cutting the lead to make it 5-4, but John Evans would tally an empty net goal giving him his first career BCHL hatrick ending the game with a Warriors 6-4 victory.

Final shots on goal: 28-24 in favour of the Vipers.

Three Stars:

  1. WKW              F John Evans         (3G)
  2. WKW              F Ryan Upson                 (1G-2A)
  3. VER                D Jackson Caller               (2A)

Fortis Energy Player of the Game: 

VER           Dawson Holt           (1G)

 

The Warriors next game is Saturday February 22nd versus the Vernon Vipers. Puck drop 6:00pm from Royal LePage Place in West Kelowna. This game will be streamed on Hockey TV and will be broadcast on the Warriors radio network on Mixlr.