West Kelowna, BC – They needed all four points this weekend, and they got all four.
After a 5-1 win over the Silverbacks the previous night in Salmon Arm, the Warriors returned home on Saturday for their 15th Annual Faith Night Game, as they welcomed the Nanaimo Clippers to RLP for the first time in two years.
Jackson Kyrkostas would open the scoring for West Kelowna in the first period, as he accepted a pass from Carter Oakenfold, and beat a sprawling Vladimir Nikitin for his 9th of the year to make it 1-0. Nanaimo thought they tied it up a few minutes later, but Luke Lavery’s goal was reviewed and disallowed for goaltender interference. The Warriors carried the lead into the dressing room for the first intermission.
Early in the second, Kyrkostas would collect his second point of the night, as he dropped the puck back to Simon Houge, who walked toward the front of the net and slipped it between Nikitin’s pads to double the Warriors lead. Ian Alonso would add to the lead as well in the third period, as he picked the top corner on the powerplay for his 10th of the year to make it 3-0. Tyler Grahme would also add a powerplay marker en route to a 4-2 West Kelowna win over the Clippers. Eddie Gauthier had another strong showing for the Warriors between the pipes, as he stopped 25 of the 27 Nanaimo shots in the win.
With the victory, the Warriors now increase their leads over Okotoks and Spruce Grove for seventh place in the Interior Conference to 3 and 6 points respectively. West Kelowna is back in action next Friday night, when they travel down Highway 97 to battle the Penticton Vees for the sixth and final time this season. Puckdrop is scheduled for 7:00 at the SOEC.
PHOTO: Tami Quan Photography
CAPTION: Warriors Captain Simon Houge celebrates his second period goal during Saturday night’s 4-2 win over the Nanaimo Clippers at Royal LePage Place.
