The Warriors scored five unanswered over the final 40 minutes in 7-1 win over Alberni Valley

Ruslan Jamaldinov has started to heat up again.

The Lulea, Sweden native picked up his first BCHL hat trick and first four point night in leading the West Kelowna Warriors to a convincing 7-1 win over the visiting Alberni Valley Bulldogs.

Jamaldinov put up 18 points over an 11 game span to open the season before falling the next eight.

He now has seven points, including four goals over his last two games, building chemistry with linemates Dylan Krayer and Natan Ethier.

That trio combined for five goals and five assists with both Ethier and Krayer chipping in with a goal and two assists each.

“RJ was ripping it at a high pace – I think he wanted to show he can stay at the top of the league and Krayer was real good, I think he hit two crossbars,” said head coach Simon Ferguson of the top line on the night.

“I was real happy with those performances.

“I thought that line clicked in the O-Zone but also in the D-Zone, they worked really hard. They competed, they backchecked, they did all the details we’ve been talking about.”

Garrett Thom and Kelsen Podworney also scored for the Warriors.

Liam Nilsson had three assists as the Warriors broke open a tight game after two with four unanswered goals during a dominating third period in which they outshot the visitors 19-4.

The Warriors started slow in the opening period especially on the power play where they were unable to get set up under the constant puck pressure of the Bulldogs.

They got that sorted out in the second and looked better supporting the puck and winning battles along the boards.

Thom opened the scoring just as a Bulldogs penalty had expired, cutting hard off the right wing, driving to the net and sneaking a shot between the legs of starter Charlie Durkin.

Jamaldinov got his first of three late in the period when, again off the rush, buried a rising wrist shot on the short side from the right faceoff circle.

The Bulldogs got one of those back in the dying seconds of the first but didn’t really come close the rest of the night as the Warrior held them to just 13 shots, a franchise record for fewest shots allowed in a game.

Jamaldinov tipped home the lone goal of the second off a picture-perfect feed from Ethier, then the flood gates opened in the third.

Krayer, Jamaldinov with his third, Ethier on a five-on-three power play and Podworny all scored as the Warriors won this one going away.

Both benches were thin at the conclusion of the game after 11 players were handed misconducts over the final 3:44.

The Warriors have now gone 11 straight on home ice without a regulation time loss, going 10-0-1-0 over that span.

They will host the Trail Smoke Eaters Saturday, the only team to beat them over that stretch, a 3-2 overtime win back on Oct. 25.

Saturday’s game is Sox, Toques and Teddy Bear Toss night with all items collected going to the Kelowna Gospel Mission and the Salvation Army.

Faceoff is 7 p.m. at Royal LePage Place.

Wayne Moore. (2025, December 5th). Warriors Muzzle Bulldogs. https://www.castanet.net/news/BCHL/578827/West-Kelowna-wins-its-fifth-in-a-row-5-2-over-visiting-Salmon-Arm