Warriors win final 2 games of pre season

The game was messy for one simple reason: Discipline.  

Neither club could stay out of the box for the duration of the hockey game, as the two teams combined for 30 penalty minutes, which, astonishingly, resulted in zero Powerplay goals.  The Warriors finished the afternoon 0/5 with the man advantage, while the Silverbacks went 0/6.

Between the pipes, it was another strong showing for Ayo Ogini, who was perfect once again, stopping all 22 shots for his second shutout of the preseason.  The Surrey native has turned heads throughout the exhibition schedule, and looks to be making a strong push to dress on opening night.  Ogini finishes the preseason with as perfect a record as a goaltender can put up; 2-0 with no goals allowed.  Bravo, Ayo.

Goals were few and far between in this one, as Landen Hilditch got the lone goal in the first period, off a point shot through a sea of legs.  No one was more surprised about the goal than Hilditch himself, who was seen smiling ear-to-ear on the bench following his first of the preseason.  The Warriors wouldn't get another until late in the third, when Eliot Compton sent an unassuming backhander towards the net, handcuffing 'Backs netminder Andrew Ballantyne, and banking off the 'tenders skate and in.

West Kelowna finishes their preseason with a 3-1 record, and now set their sights on BCHL Opening Night this Friday, when they're in Cranbrook to take on the Bucks.  Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00PM PST.

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Warriors topple Vees in Overtime 

Preseason hockey is a chance for players to ease back into the regular flow of the game.  A chance to make mistakes.  A chance to play games that don't mean anything in the grand scheme of things.

On Friday night, someone forgot to tell the Warriors and the Vees that it was a preseason game.

From the opening puck drop, this matchup between West Kelowna and Penticton felt like a game in late November.  Tight checking, fast, and physical.  Very, very physical.  The opening five minutes of the first period saw somewhat of a feeling out process, as the two teams, both dressing rosters nearly identical to what is expected on opening night, looked to find weaknesses and openings.  West Kelowna's best chance of the opening frame was from Elias Callgren, who managed to power through a pair of Vees defenders and create a partial breakaway for himself, only to have the puck roll off his stick before he could get the shot off.  For the Vees, it was Luke Posthumus's point-blank chance at the left side of the goal off a point shot rebound.  Posthumus's bid at the seemingly open net was thwarted by the right pad of a sprawling Dawson Labre, as the Les Cèdres native made his best save of the night and kept the game scoreless after 20 minutes.

The deadlock didn't last long into the second period, as West Kelowna was able to solve Penticton netminder Andrew Ness a little over five minutes into the second.  After strong work down low by linemates of Luciano Bruno and Dylan Krayer, Frankie D'Ancona was able to release a turn-and-burn shot from the bottom of the circle, beating Ness five-hole to make it 1-0.  The lead was shortlived, as Penticton answered back only 25 seconds later, as defender Michael Fisher let go a point shot through a pile of bodies, eluding the glove of Labre to tie the game up.  Less than 70 seconds later, the Warriors reclaimed the lead, as Laz Giardina found Caden Kemkaran-Humble in the bumper spot, and he ripped another low shot passed Andrew Ness to give West K a 2-1 lead.  Luke Posthumus would answer in the dying minutes of the middle frame, collecting a lose puck in the slot following a Labre save, danced his way in, and deked the goaltender for a pretty finish and another tie after 40 minutes.

The Vees found a bit of puck luck in the early stages of the third period, as Michael Fisher's point shot was kicked out by Labre's right pad, right off Penticton forward Conyr Hellyer's left skate, back off Labre's left skate, and into the net for the first Vees lead of the night.  The Warriors responded on the powerplay, as the big guns of Pridham, Kyrkostas, and Hughes combined for a beauty cross-ice one-timer to tie the game up once more, and send the game to extra time.

Overtime saw an early wrench in both teams plans, as Hellyer and Pridham got the gate for hooking and embellishment respectively, effectively removing two of the most dangerous players from the ice.  Following the penalty call, the Warriors were able to gain possession and never look back.  After a minute and a half of Cal Hughes led Warriors pressure, a fresh Elias Callgren hopped off the bench, picked up a pass from Krayer, toe drag past Anselmo Rego and pumped it between the pillows of Andrew Ness for the Overtime winner.