Saturday 31 October 2015

Oct 31st vs. Salmon Arm PREVIEW

The Salmon Arm Silverbacks and West Kelowna Warriors play once again tonight, this time at Royal Lepage Place on Halloween night.

If last night was any indication, these two teams will play at a high pace, with a lot of physical play. It will be interesting to watch the first 10 minutes and see if the officials set the tone for the night. There was a lot of special teams play last night, ad we'll see if that is the case once again.

The Warriors moved to within 3 points of Salmon Arm for 2nd place in the Interior, as they continue to make their push. The biggest key for West Kelowna moving forward is to continue putting up points, especially against teams below them in the standings. As the teams in the interior know from last season, it can be a single point that decides things at the end.

We'll see what tonight brings! Bring the kids down for some candy and if you dress up, you get in free. If you can't make it, tune in at www.mixlr.com/bchlwarriors.

Stats Pack:
Salmon Arm – 11-3-2-1

HOME – 6-2-2-1
ROAD – 5-1-0-0


Top Scorers
Nick Hutchison (10 G, 13 A)
Taro Hirose (2 G, 18 A)
Josh Blanchard (7 G, 13 A)

GF – 76
GA – 48

PP – 4th – 21 for 93 (22.6%)
PK – 4th – 85 for 100 (85.0%)
West Kelowna – 10-5-0-2

HOME – 7-2-0-1
ROAD – 3-3-0-1


Top Scorers
Liam Blackburn (10 G, 13 A)
Jonathan Desbiens (10 G, 8 A)
Garrett Forster (7 G, 9 A)

GF – 60
GA – 54

PP – 3rd – 18 for 68 (26.5%)
PK – 12th – 71 for 87 (81.6%)

Next Game – Friday November 6th – vs. Merritt – 7 PM Royal Lepage Place
Head-to-Head Lifetime – West Kelowna is 31-21-1-8 vs Salmon Arm
Warriors are 16-10-1-2 at home vs Salmon Arm.

2014/2015 Head to Head – West Kelowna went 4-3 vs Salmon Arm in 2014/2015.

Warriors 5 - Silverbacks 4 OT

The Warriors won a special teams battle in overtime on Friday night when Jonathan Desbiens buried one at 4:27 of overtime off a face-off win from Liam Blackburn.

West Kelowna opened the scoring on the power-play when Jake Harrison hammered one home, but the Silverbacks responded with a pair of their own in the final 10 minutes of the period. First it was Mitch Newsome putting one past Keelan Williams who made his BCHL debut for the Warriors. It was then Nick Hutchison who made the game 2-1 on the man advantage.

In the 2nd period Kyle Marino tied the game up deflecting Nick Rutigliano's point shot past Angus Redmond. The Silverbacks would get a pair of power plays in the period, but it was the Warriors who scored on them. Kylar Hope forced a turnover at the Silverbacks blueline and went upstairs blocker side on Redmond. After the next penalty call, Brett Mennear got the puck past Josh Laframboise at the Warrior line, and turned on the jets and went shelf glove side to give the Warriors a 4-2 lead.

The 3rd period would see a pair of Salmon Arm power-play goals, one early with Nick Hutchison getting it, and then Colton Thibault tied the game after the Warriors were put down 5 on 3 twice. The goal would be scored with just Scott Allan in the box.

Then in overtime, the Silverbacks had the early pressure but the Warriors got a couple of good opportunities of their own as well. With a face-off in the 'Backs zone and just 30 seconds left, Blackburn won the draw right to Desbiens, who's quick release beat Redmond glove side and sent the Warriors bench onto the ice to celebrate the two points.

Game Thoughts:

  • Special Teams once again were a factor in the game and 6 of the 9 goals were scored when one team had 1 less skater. The Warriors went 1 for 3 on the power play, while the 'Backs went 3 for 8. West Kelowna's 2 short-handed markers took the wind out of the Silverbacks sails, but the regrouped in the 3rd and went 2 for 4 in the frame.
  • Goaltending for the Warriors was solid throughout as Keelan Williams made his debut. He made a huge save on Chase Zieky in the 2nd period when it was 2-2, and made a couple other saves to prevent goals. Overall, Williams was solid in the Warriors net, and only 1 goal you really would like a save on, as Hutchison's 2nd was a big rebound right to him. The other 3 were back-door plays or passes off the end wall that ended up in the net. As far as the Silverbacks go, Redmond got beat up high 3 times, including twice on breakaways. The deflection goal by Marino and the slapshot from Jake Harrison were ones that he probably didn't have a chance on with the screens in front. Desbiens shot was placed perfectly and screened as well right off the draw.
  • The physical play in this hockey game was ramped up in the 2nd period and continued throughout the 3rd. It was clear the two teams will have a rivalry for the remainder of the season as they should, both big teams that like to throw their weight around. You could say discipline was a factor for the Warriors as they lost their cool, if you only look at the box score. In the end it was 2 points for the Warriors, and just 1 for the 'Backs as the rest of the Interior cringes at the 3-point game. Should be another big one tonight.

Friday 30 October 2015

Oct 30th @ Salmon Arm PREVIEW

The West Kelowna Warriors and Salmon Arm Silverbacks will play back to back nights in a Halloween Weekend home and home starting with tonight's game in Salmon Arm.

The Warriors were busy this week on the trade front, making a pair of deals. First, they acquired goaltender Keelan Williams from Camrose for forward Paul Lovsin.

Williams played last season in Kootenay of the WHL, before being released this year. The 19-year-old had good numbers for Sherwood Park as a 17-year-old in the AJHL.

I'd like to wish Paul Lovsin the best of luck in Camrose. With a winning pedigree from Spruce Grove the past 2 seasons, Lovsin was exciting to watch on the ice this year playing alongside Liam Blackburn. Trades are part of hockey, and it is always the hope that deals work out in favour of both teams.

With the Warriors having 3 goaltenders in the mix, Rylan Ferster ended up moving Forbes Ploszaj to Surrey for Future Considerations. Once again, I wish Forbes the best of luck with the Eagles, as he looks to get some substantial playing time with Justin Laforest on the Injured Reserve.

The Warriors will have just 21 players on the roster for now, with the possibility still looming of Luke Harrison becoming a member of West Kelowna's lineup in the near future. Harrison's CHL-BCHL Listing Rights were acquired in the off-season in a 3-way deal that sent Mac Ferner to Vernon, and Mitch Meek to PG. Harrison is currently with the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, however Spokane got Adam Helewka back from the AHL, so they must be down to three 20-year-olds within the next two weeks. We'll see what happens

As for the game tonight, the Warriors will be looking to snap the Silverbacks 5 game win streak that started with the 4-3 victory over West Kelowna on October 16th. In that game, the 'Backs had a 3-0 lead, before the Warriors out-shot Salmon Arm 30-3 in the final 32:34 of the game, but could not get the win, as Angus Redmond was strong in the final 10 minutes to shut the door.

Salmon Arm sits 4 points up on the Warriors so this series has the potential for a big swing. You talk about "4-point games" and what they mean, but consider this an "8-point weekend."  The Warriors could find themselves anywhere from tied for 2nd in the Interior to 8 points back of the Silverbacks. Safe to say that nothing less than a split is desirable. Should be a good weekend set.

Stats Pack:
Salmon Arm – 11-3-2-0

HOME – 6-2-2-0
ROAD – 5-1-0-0


Top Scorers
Nick Hutchison (8 G, 13 A)
Taro Hirose (2 G, 18 A)
Josh Blanchard (7 G, 12 A)

GF – 72
GA – 43

PP – 4th – 18 for 85 (21.2%)
PK – 4th – 83 for 97 (85.6%)
West Kelowna – 9-5-0-2

HOME – 7-2-0-1
ROAD – 2-3-0-1


Top Scorers
Liam Blackburn (10 G, 11 A)
Jonathan Desbiens (9 G, 8 A)
Garrett Forster (7 G, 9 A)

GF – 55
GA – 50

PP – 2nd – 17 for 65 (26.2%)
PK – 6th – 66 for 79 (83.5%)

Next Game – Saturday October 31st
Vs. Salmon Arm – 7 PM RLP
Head-to-Head Lifetime – West Kelowna is 30-21-1-8 vs Salmon Arm
Warriors are 13-11-0-6 at the Shaw Centre

2014/2015 Head to Head – West Kelowna went 4-3 vs Salmon Arm in 2014/2015. They were 2-2 at the Shaw Centre last season.

Monday 26 October 2015

Warriors 4 - Victoria 2

The West Kelowna Warriors found themselves down 2-0 again on Sunday afternoon for the 3rd straight game. It didn't happen as quickly as it did in Vernon on Friday night, but being down 2-0 after one wasn't the position the Warriors wanted to be in. That being said, there wasn't much panic from anyone as the coaching staff felt after the game that it wasn't a terrible period, the Warriors just weren't sharp enough.

Brayden Gelsinger got the Grizzlies on the board as the former Warrior put one through the legs of Forbes Ploszaj. Mitchell Barker's quick wrist shot as the Grizzlies were short handed was one that could have broken the Warriors, but they wouldn't allow that after a period break regroup.

Quin Foreman scored a nice goal in front with a great move in tight, before Liam Blackburn extended his point streak to all 16 games with a marker at 14:03. That Blackburn goal came on a power play, with Keyvan Mokhtari in the box for butt-ending. The undisciplined play came off a corner scrum right after he was knocked down by Warriors defenseman Jake Harrison.

Garrett Forster would one-up Gelsinger by scoring the Warriors 3rd goal and eventual game winner, as he went in on a break and went upstairs on Mitchel Benson, capping it off with a celebration on his way to center ice.

Kylar Hope made it 4-2 on a nifty deflection from a Brett Mennear pass, putting one top shelf again on Benson and widening the lead. The Grizzlies would try and apply pressure late, but Ploszaj was able to see the majority of the shots and made solid saves to hold down his 5th win of the year.

Game Thoughts:

  • Not the best 1st period for the Warriors, but they haven't necessarily been strong in the opening 20 minutes all year. The Warriors have been out-scored 22-11 in the first 16 games in the opening frame. Shots on goal have been 178-145 in favour of the Warriors.
  • It's the 2nd period that the Warriors really come to play, and once again it happened on Sunday. It was Reed Gunville and Quin Foreman that sparked West Kelowna, with points on each of the 2nd period goals, as Gunville had 2 assists and Foreman had 1+1.
  • For the season, West Kelowna is out-scoring opponents 24-14 and out-shooting them 233-129 in that 2nd period, which is a big WOW stat.
  • Big weekend ahead for the Warriors, as the Salmon Arm Silverbacks are now ranked #18 in the CJHL rankings, and will be another big test. Angus Redmond stole the game for Salmon Arm last time after the 'Backs got the 3-0 lead, but the Warriors have confidence they can play with them. If West Kelowna can get traffic like they did in Vernon on Friday, it could be a different outcome.

Friday 23 October 2015

Oct 23rd @ Vernon PREVIEW

The West Kelowna Warriors and the Vernon Vipers renew acquaintances tonight at Kal Tire Place and these two teams have a big time rivalry. For fans that are new to both organizations, all you need to do is see what happened last year in October 2014 and December 2014 (videos in links).

These two teams had a lot of bad blood last season, and with some players on opposite teams now (Mac Ferner and Hunter Zandee) it will be interesting to see the intensity early on in the hockey game.

The Vipers have gotten strong goaltending from Andrew Shortridge this season, including a BCHL Player of the Week performance last week, where Shortridge went 3-0 with a 1.33 GAA and .968 Sv % in 2 wins over Merritt and one over Trail.

West Kelowna will look to create traffic in front of Shortridge, something they didn't do a very good job of on Wednesday in Penticton. There were a lot of shots in the game for the Warriors that were easily seen by Zach Driscoll, so they'll look to make it more difficult tonight.

The Warriors may be healthy for the first time in a month tonight as well, as Kristian Blumenschein's time on the IR is up, and Tanner Campbell may also return to the lineup.

The Vipers have been good at home to start the season, while the Warriors haven't won away from Royal Lepage Place except for the BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack. They'll be looking to buck the trend tonight.

Stats Pack:
Vernon Vipers – 8-6-0-1

HOME – 5-2-0-1
ROAD – 3-4-0-0


Top Scorers
Odeen Tufto (7 G, 13 A)
Liam Finlay (6 G, 10 A)
Steven Jandric (6 G, 8 A)

GF – 55
GA – 42

PP – 6th – 15 for 75 (20.0%)
PK – 11th – 58 for 71 (81.7%)
West Kelowna – 7-5-0-2

HOME – 6-2-0-1
ROAD – 1-4-0-1


Top Scorers
Liam Blackburn (8 G, 11 A)
Jonathan Desbiens (8 G, 8 A)
Garrett Forster (5 G, 9 A)

GF – 48
GA – 46

PP – 2nd – 15 for 58 (25.9%)
PK – 12th – 56 for 69 (81.7%)

Next Game – Sunday October 25th – vs. Victoria – 2:30 PM @ RLP
Head-to-Head Lifetime – West Kelowna is 28-24-2-6 vs Vernon
Warriors are 10-15-2-4 in Vernon

2014/2015 Head to Head – West Kelowna went 3-4 vs Vernon in 2014/2015. They were 1-2 at Kal Tire Place last season.

Thursday 22 October 2015

Vees 4 - Warriors 2

"You can't make mistakes against that team cause they'll make you pay." - Rylan Ferster

That is probably all that needs to be written about last nights game in Penticton, but give credit where its due. The Penticton Vees used a pair of turnovers, a screened point shot, and hustle to a rebound to put 4 past Stephen Heslop on Wednesday night.

Tyson Jost had a pair of goals, while Griffin Mendel's first in the BCHL and Scott Conway rounded out the Penticton scoring.

Nick Rutigliano scored his 1st of the season to make it 3-1 late in the 2nd period, while Liam Blackburn picked up his 8th of the season to make it 4-2 but that is as close as the Warriors would get. Blackburn now has a point in every game this season to this point.

Game Thoughts:

Goaltending: Zach Driscoll was good for the Vees in the opening 10 minutes, robbing Liam Blackburn early on and keeping the Warriors off the board until late in the 2nd. While Driscoll didn`t have to be fantastic, he weathered the storm early until the Vees got it going.

On the flip side, Stephen Heslop made a couple key saves for West Kelowna and continued battling as he always does. He made one big glove save in the 2nd period that kept it 2-0 after Mendel`s goal, but you can`t fault him on any of the goals.

Special Teams: It's easy to talk about Special Teams every single night, because it's such an integral part of the game. The Warriors failed to scored on an early 5 on 3, and didn't get a goal on their 3rd period power play that was shortened by Kyle Marino's penalty. The penalty kill though was perfect, going 5 for 5 and raising the percentage to 81.2%.

Coming Up:
The Warriors head to Vernon on Friday night for their first meeting with the Vipers. These two teams battled hard last year, with Vernon holding a 3-2 edge. It will be an intriguing match-up for sure, with former Warriors Mac Ferner and Hunter Zandee in the lineup for the Snakes.


Wednesday 21 October 2015

Oct 21 @ Penticton PREVIEW

The West Kelowna Warriors will head to Penticton tonight to take on the Vees at the SOEC. It will be the 3rd meeting of the season between these two teams, with Penticton winning 4-1 and 4-3 (OT).

It's a busy week for West Kelowna, who then face the Vernon Vipers at Kal Tire Place on Friday, before hosting the Victoria Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon, 2:30 at Royal Lepage Place.

The Warriors dropped a decision to Salmon Arm last Friday, before controlling the game against Prince George in a 5-2 victory. The coaching staff was pleased with the effort in both games, although the Warriors started slow against the Silverbacks.

The Vees pose another big test to West Kelowna, as they have won 12 straight games, vaulting themselves to #3 in the CJHL rankings, and leading the Interior Divison by 6 points.

Last season, the Warriors ended the Vees 13 game winning streak with a win on Wednesday November 5th at the SOEC. Earlier this season, West Kelowna became the first team to beat the Wenatchee Wild in BCHL action. "Great moments are born from great opportunity" - Herb Brooks.

Stats Pack:
Penticton – 12-1-0-0

HOME – 7-0
ROAD – 5-1


Top Scorers
Scott Conway (12 G, 14 A)
Tyson Jost (10 G, 16 A)
Dante Fabbro (6 G, 15 A)

GF – 55
GA – 26

PP – 3rd – 17 for 64 (26.6%)
PK – 3rd – 44 for 51 (86.3%)
West Kelowna – 7-4-0-2

HOME – 6-2-0-1
ROAD – 1-2-0-1


Top Scorers
Liam Blackburn (7 G, 10 A)
Jonathan Desbiens (8 G, 8 A)
Garrett Forster (5 G, 9 A)

GF – 46
GA – 42

PP – 2nd – 15 for 55 (27.3%)
PK – 14th – 51 for 64 (79.7%)

Next Game – Friday October 23rd
@ Vernon – 7 PM Kal Tire Place
Head-to-Head Lifetime – West Kelowna is 18-45-0-8 vs Penticton
Warriors are 9-23-0-3 in Penticton

2014/2015 Head to Head – West Kelowna went 2-5 vs Penticton in 2014/2015. The only 2 wins came at the SOEC.
Penticton won the 1st round playoff series 4-1.

Monday 19 October 2015

Warriors 5 - Spruce Kings 2

From the moment the puck was dropped on Saturday night the West Kelowna Warriors took control of it. It was one of those games where you could sense early on that it was going to take a massive effort between the pipes from Sam Tanguay to ensure that the Spruce Kings wouldn't get run out of the building.

Tanguay was solid, allowing just 1 goal in the first as the Warriors threw everything at him, putting 15 shots on goal, while Prince George just managed 2.

The domination continued in the middle frame, but Tanguay stood tall, stopping 17 shots, but Liam Blackburn scored short handed to make it 2-0.

2 quick goals in the 3rd put the game away, but Jake Lebrun got the Spruce Kings on the board on the power-play, then after Kyle Marino made it 5-1, Nic Ponak made it 5-2 on a nice passing play from PG. The final shots on goal were 50-19.

Game Thoughts:

  • Dominant. That's what the Warriors were on Saturday. Building on the last 32:34 from Friday, the Warriors put shots on goal from every direction, forcing Sam Tanguay into a boatload of saves throughout the game. Through the first two periods, the shots were 33-7 on the scoreboard. Going back to Friday, in 72:34, West Kelowna out-shot both Salmon Arm and PG 63-10.
  • Liam Blackburn's pair of goals (and an assist) moved him into the team scoring lead, while extending his point streak to 9 games. Jonathan Desbiens goal on a nice backhand move moved his streak to 10 games, while Garrett Forster couldn't muster a point and had his streak snapped at 9.
  • The power play went 0-3 and the PK was just 50% but it was the even strength play that really told the story. The one short handed marker for West Kelowna started as a 4 on 4 rush, and was put in after the penalized Spruce King player came back on the ice. Prince George was playing their 3rd game in 3 nights, and the Warriors exploited that after not getting anything out of Friday night's late game dominance. 
Upcoming:
Big week ahead for the Warriors, as they take on Penticton Wednesday and Vernon Friday on the road, while hosting the Victoria Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 at Royal Lepage Place.

Saturday 17 October 2015

Oct 17th vs PG PREVIEW

The West Kelowna Warriors get back to work today after falling to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 4-3. A bit of a sluggish start turned around for the Warriors halfway through the 2nd, but were unable to erase a 3-0 deficit.

The Prince George Spruce Kings come into Royal Lepage Place having lost 2 in a row, back to back to Merritt and Penticton. The Spruce Kings beat both Vernon and Salmon Arm on an interior swing last weekend.

We'll see how the lines stack up for tonight's matchup, as Rylan Ferster juggled his units throughout the night last night, trying to find the best combinations for success.

The Warriors have a busy week next week with road games in Penticton, Vernon, and a home date with Victoria. They'll look to get a jump on that with a victory over the Spruce Kings tonight.

Stats Pack:
Prince George – 3-9-0-1

HOME – 1-4-0-0
ROAD – 2-5-0-1


Top Scorers
Corey Hoffman (5 G, 9 A)
Adam Brubacher (4 G, 5 A)
Braiden Epp (4 G, 5 A)

GF – 29
GA – 59

PP – 13th – 9 for 59 (15.3%)
PK – 16th – 47 for 66 (71.2%)
West Kelowna – 6-4-0-2

HOME – 5-2-0-1
ROAD – 1-2-0-1


Top Scorers
Jonathan Desbiens (7 G, 8 A)
Garrett Forster (5 G, 9 A)
Liam Blackburn (5 G, 8 A)

GF – 41
GA – 40

PP – 2nd – 15 for 52 (28.9%)
PK – 11th –50 for 62 (80.7%)

Next Game – Wednesday October 21st @ Penticton – 7 PM SOEC
Head-to-Head Lifetime – West Kelowna is 22-11-2-5 vs Prince George
Warriors are 14-3-1-0 vs PG at Royal Lepage Place

2014/2015 Head to Head – West Kelowna went 1-1 vs Prince George Last Season.

Silverbacks 4 - Warriors 3

The West Kelowna Warriors threw everything they could at Angus Redmond in the final 30 minutes of the game Friday night, but could not erase a 3-0 deficit in a 4-3 loss.

The Silverbacks got 1 in the first period which they controlled for the most part, out-shooting the Warriors 16-10. Marcus Mitchell had the opening goal, while Stephen Heslop made a couple big saves early to keep it scoreless, before the late period tally.

Colton Thibault had a deflection goal just 1:22 into the 2nd frame, throwing his stick out and getting the puck to come back towards the goal and beat Heslop.  Michael Winnitoy's point shot at 7:26 made it 3-0 as it went through a screen and into the back of the Warriors net.

When that goal went it, a look at the shot clock at Royal Lepage Place showed that the Silverbacks had a 20-15 edge on the Warriors. That would change in the next 32:34.

The Warriors got on the board when Rylan Yaremko picked the top corner from the blueline on a shot that Redmond didn't see, then Garrett Forster made it 3-2 with a power-play goal going short side.

Salmon Arm would take a pair of penalties in the final two minutes, but the Warriors couldn't score on the brief 5 on 3 before the clock ran out. Both penalties extended to the start of the 3rd, as the shot clock read 29-21 for the Warriors. (14-1 in the final 12:34 of Period 2)

West Kelowna could not find the tying goal on the man advantage, and the Silverbacks got one of their own on a 3 on 1 which ended with a tap-in for Chase Zieky. A pinch at the blue line was miscalculated, and ended in the odd-man rush.

The Warriors had a 4-second power play in the middle of the period, as Liam Blackburn won the puck right to Jonathan Desbiens, who snapped one home to make it 4-3.

Kylar Hope would be robbed on a rebound with about 7 minutes to play, and Redmond stood tall, battling through screens as the Warriors continued to throw the puck at the net. Nobody would score again, even as the Warriors had 5 offensive zone face-offs in the final minute of play, with the 'Backs icing it 4 times trying to hit the empty net.

West Kelowna out-shot Salmon Arm 16-2 in the final frame.

Game Thoughts:

  • Not really the start the Warriors wanted, as they looked like they were on their heels for most of the opening frame. Stephen Heslop was forced to make a couple big saves, as West Kelowna struggled to put passes together on the breakout, and through the neutral zone. It was only 1-0 after 20 minutes, as the Warriors looked to regroup for the middle frame.
  • Colton Thibault's tip goal was a bit of a back breaker for the Warriors, as Jake Harrison had good position in front of the net on the inside, but Thibault's stick went to the outside, tipped the puck back towards the goal and it beat Heslop.
  • A switch flipped after it was 3-0 on Michael Winnitoy's point shot. The Warriors became a little more physical, but they also controlled the puck in the offensive zone. The shot clock reflected the turn of play, as the Warriors looked to come back.
  • From the moment the game went 3-0, the Warriors out shot the Silverbacks 30-3, and while they did score 3, Angus Redmond was as good as advertised. 42 save performance for the Langley, BC native, as he gave the 'Backs a chance to win by holding down the fort in the final 32:34.
  • There's not much that can be said when a goaltender stymies you like Redmond did. The Warriors had traffic, got shots through, and somehow Redmond was able to get a body part on the majority. His save off Kylar Hope from the slot was the best of the night hands down.
Warriors will look for a bounce back against Prince George, who is hungry for a win on their 2nd interior swing in 2 weeks. The Spruce Kings record doesn't indicate their level of play, as they have put some solid efforts in this season, and when the goaltending is on like the Warriors saw with Salmon Arm last night, there's always a chance for the win. Pre-game show at 6:40 on www.mixlr.com/bchlwarriors or you can watch on Fast Hockey. Game Preview on the way at 1:30 this afternoon.

Friday 16 October 2015

Oct 16th vs Salmon Arm PREVIEW

The West Kelowna Warriors will look for 2nd place in the BCHL Interior tonight as they take on the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. The two teams are currently tied with 14 points.

The Warriors are coming off a win over the Powell River Kings on Saturday night, when Stephen Heslop picked up his first shutout of the season.

Streaks were continued as well, as Jonathan Desbiens and Garrett Forster each now have a 9-game point streak, and Liam Blackburn’s now sits at 8.

It will be a tough test for the Warriors tonight, as Angus Redmond has been good to start the season, posting a 2.26 GAA in 10 games.

The Silverbacks haven’t played a lot on the road so far, just 1 game outside of the BCHL Showcase, so the Warriors will look to put their hot home start to good use in this one.


Don’t miss tomorrow’s action either, as the Prince George Spruce Kings come into town to take on the Warriors with Wrestler Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart in attendance.

Stats Pack:
Salmon Arm – 6-3-2-0

HOME – 5-2-2-0
ROAD – 1-1


Top Scorers
Nick Hutchison (7 G, 9 A)
Josh Blanchard (5 G, 7 A)
Ross Heidt (8 G, 3 A)

GF – 46
GA – 30

PP – 10th – 12 for 63 (19.1%)
PK – 4th – 62 for 72 (86.1%)
West Kelowna – 6-3-0-2

HOME – 5-1-0-1
ROAD – 1-2-0-1


Top Scorers
Jonathan Desbiens (6 G, 7 A)
Garrett Forster (4 G, 9 A)
Liam Blackburn (5 G, 7 A)

GF – 38
GA – 36

PP – 2nd – 13 for 46 (28.3%)
PK – 13th – 48 for 60 (80%)

Next Game – Saturday October 17th
vs Prince George – 7 PM RLP
Head-to-Head Lifetime – West Kelowna is 30-20-1-8 vs Salmon Arm
Warriors are 16-9-1-2 at RLP vs the Silverbacks

2014/2015 Head to Head – West Kelowna went 4-3 vs. Salmon Arm last season.