The West Kelowna Warriors snapped their overtime curse with a 3-2 OT victory over the Cranbrook Bucks on Wednesday night.
First thing is first, the Warriors got UNBELIEVABLE goaltending in this game from Jack Lisson, who made 15 saves in the first period alone, keeping a determined Bucks squad off the board. At the halfway point of the opening frame, Jackson Kyrkostas found Sam LeDrew at the top of the right faceoff circle, who pulled off a nifty little toe drag to create a touch of open ice for himself. Just enough open ice to feather a saucer pass to Luciano Bruno at the hashmarks, Bruno pumped it high to the far side, beating Jaden Cholette for his first career BC Hockey League goal.
Six minutes into the second period, with Kelsen Podworny in the West Kelowna penalty box, the Bucks answered back, as Rasmus Svartström tipped in a point shot for his league leading 19th of the season to knot the game up at one a piece.
Early in the third, on another powerplay, Cranbrook would take their first lead of the game. Kaslo Ferner accepted the puck at the far circle, hesitated ever so slightly, causing a sliding Lisson to lose his net, and ripped it into the open side of the net to make it 2-1. Eight minutes later, on a powerplay of their own, the newly acquired Axel Lofgren went for an end-to-end rush, finishing with him pumping a high shot past Cholette for his ninth of the year, and first as a Warrior to knot the game up, and ultimately push the Warriors past 60 minutes for the 3rd straight game.
In Overtime, Kyrkostas, while working downlow with LeDrew, was able to swing behind the goal, and find a streaking Simon Houge fresh off the bench at the top of the left circle, who pumped a hard shot past Jaden Chalotte to give the Warriors the win, and finally end their overtime losing skid. It was Houge's second of the year, and his first since being named captain.
The Warriors will wrap up their four game homestand on Saturday night, when they host the Sherwood Park Crusaders at RLP for the 17th annual Teddy Bear Toss.