Warriors Take the Mills for a 6-2 Victory

The puck supply dwindled as two Westside Warriors notched their first BCHL goals in a 6-2 win over the testy Quesnel Millionaires on Thursday night at Royal LePage Place. Not only did the home team get on the scoresheet first, it came courtesy of another first effort. Grayson Downing, playing his first game back from a two-month injury, notched his premiere British Columbia Hockey League marker nine minutes into the first period.

Following up that opening salvo, the Warriors? second goal was also another first ? this time from Vince Mihalek. Coming at 17:36 of the first period, Brad Plumton and Michael Quinn were credited with the assists. Quesnel, looking out-hustled most of the game, bounced back with 24.2 seconds left to the first intermission. Of course, keeping with the theme, that was a first as well, as rookie Riley Marsh scored his first league goal on an unassisted effort.

Coming off a win and a loss last weekend in Quesnel, the Warriors were looking to improve on their 8-7-0-1 record, and certainly didn?t want to waste two points to Quesnel, sitting five points behind them in the standings. The Warriors were fifth place before the game, with Quesnel sixth. Two unanswered goals in the second period from Brendan Ellis, on the power play, and Trevor Bailey gave the Warriors a comfortable cushion as they carried the majority of the play despite missing out on several other good chances with the extra-man advantage. They played tough in their own end for the remainder and earned their win, which leaves them at 2-2 so far this season against the Millionaires. Ron Kelly showed some characteristic toughness in the third, standing up to the Millionaires Rylan Stanyer and going toe-to-toe in a tilt that lasted more than a minute, after Stanyer laid an unneeded cross check on Westside?s Kyle Singleton.

A few minutes later, things got rough again as the Warriors Joel Woznikoski and Breyden Decock went at it in front of the Quesnel bench. The second Quesnel goal at 12:38 of the frame from Ben Payne quieted things down, but with six minutes left in the game, Brad Plumton took a dislike to a hit from behind, and drubbed an out-matched Justin Sotkowy in the third tilt. When the dust settled, Justin Schultz iced the game as he took advantage of the ensuing Warriors power play and scored a beauty on a feed from Brendan Ellis, going in alone and snapping one high over Quesnel goaltender Ryan Demharter?s left shoulder for his fourth goal of the season. The merriment continued right to the end as a frustrated Quesnel team tried to get under the Warriors? skin.

That only served to make them try harder, and Matt Bettker again took advantage of a power play (after a cheap goaltender interference call against the Millionaire?s Thomas Kala) and beat Demharter at the 17:24 mark with help from Schultz and Cory Pritz. Two more scraps in the last minute involving the Warriors? Bailey and Brett H