Second Period Surge Pushes Warriors Past Silverbacks, Clinch Interior Division
The West Kelowna Warriors used a dominant second period to rally past the Salmon Arm Silverbacks Friday night, securing a 3–2 victory and clinching first place in the Interior Division.
The Warriors came out flat to start the game, with the Silverbacks controlling much of the early play. Despite the pressure, Warriors goaltender Angelo Zol stood tall between the pipes, turning aside several early chances to keep the game scoreless.
Salmon Arm eventually broke through when Mateau Spath wired a one-timer past Zol, giving the visitors a 1–0 lead in the opening period.
The second period, however, saw a completely different Warriors squad take the ice.
West Kelowna came out with energy and quickly shifted momentum. Captain Liam Nilsson got the Warriors on the board with his eighth power-play goal and 16th tally of the season, finishing off a slick passing play from Max Dinneen to even the score.
Just over two minutes later, the Warriors grabbed the lead. Ruslan Jamaldinov battled hard at the top of the crease alongside Natan Ethier, jamming the puck across the line to make it 2–1.
The Warriors kept pressing and extended their lead later in the period. Caden Kemkaren-Humble redirected a point shot from Dylan Krayer, tipping the puck past the Silverbacks netminder to give West Kelowna a 3–1 advantage heading into the third.
West Kelowna’s special teams also played a crucial role throughout the night. The Warriors’ penalty kill was perfect, shutting down all three Silverbacks opportunities — including a five-minute major assessed to Nilsson.
In the third period, the Warriors locked things down defensively, but Salmon Arm made a late push when Landon Mackie scored to cut the lead to one.
With the Silverbacks pressing and the net pulled late, Zol came up with several key saves to preserve the victory.
The Warriors goaltender finished the night with 34 saves on 36 shots, earning first star honours for his strong performance.
West Kelowna’s power play finished 1-for-3 on the night, while the win officially clinched first place in the Interior Division for the Warriors.
The Warriors are back in action tomorrow night when they host the Spruce Grove Saints. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM at Royal LePage Place.
Fans are encouraged to come out and support the team as it marks the second-last home game of the regular season before the BCHL playoffs begin.
