Photo: #12 Brennan Nelson picked up an assist Friday night.
Photo Credit: Tami Quan Photography
March 4th, 2022
TRAIL, B.C. – The West Kelowna Warriors get redemption on the road as they defeat the Trail Smoke Eaters Friday night 5-2.
The Warriors came out flying to start the game with Alexi Van Houtte Cachero scoring the opening goal off a great feed from Brennan Nelson. The Smoke Eaters would later tie the game up at 1 with Quinn Disher stealing the puck away from Johnny Derrick when he went out of his net to play it and lost the puck. Turning point of the game was a big hit by Smoke Eaters forward Charlie Strobel on Nick Roukounakis. Roukounakis would leave to the dressing room with what appeared to be an upper body injury prompting the officials to eject Strobel out of the game and award the Warriors with a 5 minute power play. The Warriors were unable to score on the man advantage but Nick Roukounakis would return to finish the period.
The Warriors once again came out strong to start period two. It began with John Evans firing a harmless looking shot from the point which would beat Evan Fradette to make it 2-1 on the powerplay. Then Evans would set up Riley Sharun who fired a shot on Fradette which Christophe Farmer would collect and score on to make it 3-1 Warriors. The Smoke Eaters would cut the lead to one with Teddy Lagerbeck scoring from behind the net going off Johnny Derrick’s back and in. The Warriors would go back on the powerplay and score again with Marcus Joughin finding Nick Ardanaz open in the right side circle and the Warriors score their second power play goal off the game to make it 4-2 heading into the third.
The powerplay got going again for the Warriors in the third with John Evans scoring his 2nd of the night and 3rd point of the evening to make it 5-2 Warriors. John Evans would earn the game’s first star.
Final shots: 41-30 Warriors.
The Warriors return home Saturday night when they The Prince George Spruce Kings. It is also Peachland Warriors Night. Puck drop 7:00pm PST from Royal LePage Place in West Kelowna. Catch broadcasts on BCHL TV (formally HockeyTV) or tune into the Warriors MixIr radio station.