The Westside Warriors earned their first road victory of the pre-season, as they dominated the Spruce Kings on Thursday night.
After an early departure from West Kelowna, the team knew a good start would be pivotal. As it turned out, Westside controlled the play from the opening faceoff, outshooting Prince George 18-4 in the first period alone. After 20 minutes of play, the Warriors held a 2-1 lead, and the team kept working hard until the final buzzer, skating to a 3-1 final.
Shawn Hochhausen earned first star honours, scoring the opening goal and setting the tone with his feisty work ethic. Hochhausen’s rookie winger Reid Simmonds also had a strong game, scoring Westside’s second goal of the night – which would hold up as the game winner.
“I think those guys are great to play with” said Simmonds of Hochhausen and Brett McKinnon. “They make it really easy on me, and it’s really fun to play with those two.”
Defenceman Brayden Sherbinin scored Westside’s insurance marker in the third period, while Scott McHaffie scored the lone Spruce Kings tally on a first period P.G. powerplay.
Goaltenders Steve Racine and Dustin Nikkel each played half of the game in net for Westside, with the final shot count providing a telling statistic on the flow of play – as the Warriors outshot their hosts 41-12 on the night.
The Warriors conclude their pre-season schedule on Friday night in Salmon Arm. Westside has already faced the Silverbacks once in the pre-season, scoring a 3-2 victory on home ice.
Visit The General's Report for more reaction to Thursday’s game.
Team Sites
Follow the BCHL
