The Westside Warriors rode the talents of their number one line Saturday night in a lopsided 8-1 thumping of the Quesnel Millionaires.
Alex Grieve, Grayson Downing and Tyler Krause combined for 13 points in the rout.
Grieve had a hat trick and two assists, Downing a goal and three assists while Krause added four helpers.
“Every time they were on the ice the other team couldn't get the puck off them,” says Warriors coach Brent Gough.
“They were absolutely dominant out there tonight.?
The Warriors dominated the opening period, outshooting Quesnel 17-6 but came away with just a 2-0 lead.
Downing opened the scoring 13 minutes into the opening period when he took a centering feed from Krause, deked netminder Bryton Udy and slid the puck into the empty net.
Izaak Berglund who scored his first career BCHL goal Friday night scored his second nearly six minutes later when his wrist shot from the left point found a way between Udy's pads and in.
“I honestly thought it was tipped. I didn't think I scored,” says Berglund.
“It somehow found the back of the net. It's a bit of luck but hopefully they'll keep coming.”
Grieve broke the game wide open with two goals in a span of two minutes early in the second.
Tyler Brickler, Kyle Singleton shorthanded and Brett McKinnon also scored for the Warriors. Singleton also added a pair of assists.
Berglund says Saturday`s game was key as the club bounced back from a disappointing loss one night earlier.
“Yea, I think we were 1-4-1 in our last six. It was huge to get us on the right path and hopefully we can make a run until playoffs.”
Despite allowing eight goals, Udy was spectacular in goal for the Millionaires, making several key stops to prevent the Warriors from hitting double digits.
Udy turned aside 40 shots as the Warriors outshot the visitors 48-24.
Cole Holowenko was solid in the Warriors net despite having to make just a few tough saves.
He lost the shutout bid midway through the second period when Malcolm Gould batted a rebound out of midair from a sharp angle behind Holowenko.
The Warriors and Quesnel will get to know each other up close and personal between now and the end of the regular season.
The two teams will face each other three more times over the next three weeks.
Up next, a home and home series against the fourth place Trail Smoke Eaters.
The Warriors travel to Trail Tuesday before the two teams return to Royal LePage Place next Saturday.
“Those are two huge games for us. We need those points because they are above us in the standings right now,” added Gough.
“If we get those two wins it's going to look good for us going down the stretch.”
The Smokes, who have yet to beat Westside in four tries this season, sit six points up on the Warriors.
Westside holds two games in hand.
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