The West Kelowna Warriors got their Vancouver Island trip started on the right foot on Friday night, beating the Nanaimo Clippers 6-3.
In the first 10 minutes of the game, the dangerous line of Michael Salandra, Brennan Nelson, and Felix Caron were just that as Salandra scored twice, at the 4:26 mark and at the 8:00 mark, making it 2-0. The goals were his 17th and 18th of the campaign. Caron assisted on both goals while Nelson and Isaiah Norlin each collected a helper.
It was also a night of firsts for the Warriors, starting in the final minute of the first period when Sean Keohane scored his first career BCHL goal, assisted by Johannes Løkkeburg and Norlin, making it 3-0.
🚨 FIRST BCHL GOAL FOR SEAN KEOHANE! 🚨 | |
91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ” West Kelowna Warriors (@BCHLWarriors)
Nanaimo made it an one-goal game in the second period, getting goals from Samuel Boisvert and Connor DeTurris. The goals were Boisvert91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s fourth of the season, and DeTurris91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™ 11th.
But just 34 seconds later, Callum Hughes made it a two-goal lead again when he scored his 17th goal of the year. Jack Pridham and Trent Wilson assisted on the marker.
And 1:32 later, Simon Houge scored his first career BCHL game to regain the Warriors three-goal lead, making it 5-2. Caron collected his third assist of the game on the goal.
🚨 FIRST BCHL GOAL FOR SIMON HOUGE! 🚨 |
91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ” West Kelowna Warriors (@BCHLWarriors)
In the third period, the teams exchanged goals. Andrew Brown scored his seventh goal of the season for the Clippers and late in the game, Nelson scored an empty-net goal to put the game away for the Warriors.
Rorke Applebee made 22 saves in the win for the Warriors while Chazz Nixon made 26 saves in the loss.
With the win, the Warriors remain second in the Interior Conference with a record of 24-7-6-0 while Nanaimo is 20-13-2-0, fourth in the Coastal Conference.
The Warriors are back in action on Saturday night in Alberni Valley with puck drop at 7 p.m. while the Clippers welcome Powell River to town. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
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