Merritt 8 - Warriors 6

West Kelowna got out-scored, out-bounced, and beat on Saturday night against the Merritt Centennials, who has become the biggest nemesis to the success of the Warriors. 5 games this season against one another in the first 31 games, and Merritt has taken 4 of the 5, and scored 30 goals in the process. West Kelowna just cannot find a way to win in Merritt.

The Warriors had a good start to the hockey game, and took a 4-2 lead into the intermission. The two goals allowed come off bad bounces, as one redirects off a skate, and the other was off the end wall and maybe a bit over-played by Keelan Williams, but in the end Zach Zorn had a tap-in.

On the offensive side of the 1st period, Jonathan Desbiens beat Cole Kehler with a great wrist shot, Rylan Yaremko's wrister from the point was off a Merritt stick, before Brett Mennear scored a perfect goal with another good shot off the rush. Garrett Forster scored on the power play to make it 4-2 as his seeing eye shot went through traffic and in.

Merritt tied the game in mere moments to start the 2nd, scoring twice in 1:37 to tie the game. Gavin Gould wrapped one around on Williams to make it 4-3, before a pass through the penalty kill box was buried by Nick Jermain.

Lane Gilliss had his 1st BCHL goal as his quick release off a Reed Gunville shot/rebound gave Kehler no chance. There's now only 2 Warriors who haven't scored in the BCHL, as Bryan Nelson and Tyler Anderson are without goals.

Merritt tied the game again off a face-off, as a quick shot right off the drop beat Williams, and ended his night as Brett Clark made his Warriors debut.

The Centennials went up 6-5 on the hat-trick goal from Jermain on a deflection in tight. The Warriors would tie the game up at 6 when Liam Blackburn scored on the power play. The game winner came with 3:54 to go in the 3rd, as Ryan Coghlan's slap shot went past Clark. An empty-netter sealed the deal, as the Warriors ended up out-shooting Merritt 44-38.

Game Thoughts:

• The Warriors had a great first period, and yes they gave up two goals but they were both tough bounces that ended up in the net. A 4-goal first was what the Warriors needed to get the confidence level up in the building that they've struggled in. A couple of great shots and more pucks on goal gave the Warriors the 4-2 lead, as they looked to be in a great position.
• The 2nd period has been so good for West Kelowna this season, but the start of the 2nd Saturday wasn't. A wrap around goal that Williams didn't get to, then the Warriors take a penalty right after, and get beat by the Merritt power play. West Kelowna has allowed 6 power-play goals to the Centennials this season. 5-5 was the score after 2 but the Warriors saw a pair of leads evaporate.
• In the 3rd, the game had a feeling of last goal wins, and that was definitely true as the Centennials went up 7-6 with 3:54 remaining. West Kelowna pressed but again, stymied by Kehler who really turned his game on down the stretch.
• Streaks were continued as a bright spot after a loss, as Kylar Hope, Liam Blackburn, and Jonathan Desbiens each had a point in the hockey game.

The Warriors will be on the road next weekend as they visit Vancouver Island for games against Alberni Valley, Nanaimo, and Victoria. 

December 5th @ Merritt PREVIEW

The West Kelowna Warriors take on the Merritt Centennials for the 5th time this season as they head to the Nicola Valley Arena tonight

West Kelowna has struggled this year against the Cents, dropping their last three meetings by a combined score of 18-6.

Merritt hasn't had trouble scoring goals, as they've put up 100 in 31 games, lead by Colin Grannary. When you break down that 100, you see a few outbursts including a 9-spot on the Warriors September 30th, as well as 8 on Surrey (in a 11-8 LOSS nonetheless)

The Centennials have struggled keeping the puck out of their net, allowing 4.4 goals per game. The Warriors will need to test either Cole Kehler or Coleton Lancaster tonight early and often if they want to see the pucks cross the line.

Look for Brett Clark to make his Warriors debut in the net, as he was signed just this week. He hasn't played since November 17th in the SJHL with the Humboldt Broncos. Clark played last season with the Trail Smoke Eaters, and went 2-0 at the Nicola Valley Arena in 2014/2015.

Kylar Hope rides a 9-game point streak, while Liam Blackburn (8), and Jonathan Desbiens (7) also have streaks heading into tonight's game.

3 Warriors are left looking for their first BCHL goal as Jared Marino broke open his 0 with a deflection last night versus Cowichan. Bryan Nelson, Tyler Anderson, and Lane Gilliss have yet to score.

Pre-Game show starts at 7:10 tonight, with puck drop at 7:30. Listen live at www.mixlr.com/bchlwarriors or watch on FastHockey.

Stats Pack:

Merritt – 9-20-0-2 HOME – 4-10-0-2 ROAD – 5-10-0-0 Top Scorers Colin Grannary (17 G, 19 A) Gavin Gould (16 G, 17 A) Zak Bowles (12 G, 14 A) GF – 100 GA – 135 PP – 9th – 27 for 139 (19.4%) PK – 17th – 90 for 136 (66.2%)	West Kelowna – 17-11-0-2 HOME – 11-6-0-1 ROAD – 6-5-0-1 Top Scorers Liam Blackburn (14 G, 25 A) Jonathan Desbiens (17 G, 15 A) Kylar Hope (12 G, 19 A) GF – 113 GA – 106 PP – 5th – 31 for 131 (23.7%) PK – 10th – 118 for 150 (78.7%) Next Game – Friday December 11th - @ Alberni Valley – 7 PM
Head-to-Head Lifetime – West Kelowna is 43-16-1-4 vs Merritt All-Time Warriors are 19-9-0-3 All-Time vs the Centennials in Merritt Head-to-Head This Season September 11th – Warriors win 6-4 September 12th – Merritt wins 5-4 September 30th – Merritt wins 9-1 November 6th – Merritt wins 4-1

Capitals 6 - Warriors 4

The West Kelowna Warriors fell 6-4 to the Cowichan Valley Capitals on Friday night at Royal Lepage Place, as once again it was a star performance in the visitors net that lead the way.

Storm Phaneuf made 43 saves on the night, as the Warriors heavily out-shot the Capitals 47-25, but Keelan Williams allowed 5 goals on his first 20 shots, and finished with just 20 saves overall.

The Warriors gave up an early goal but did a great job once again of rebounding, scoring a pair to take the 2-1 lead. Jonathan Desbiens put one in after the puck bounced off the end boards, then Kylar Hope out-waited the defenders and goaltender going all the way across the front of the net with the Capitals sprawling out, before tucking it over the line from the far side.

Patrick Geary of the Capitals became the 1st period story after that, scoring a pair of goals, one of which Williams felt he was interfered on, as Kehoe was in the crease and Williams in the net as the puck went in.

The Warriors tied the game in the 2nd on Desbiens 2nd of the night, but that was short-lived as Cowichan re-took the lead moments later. Kyle Berry put a rebound in off a long shot off the chest of Williams, and those were the only 2 shots he faced in the entire frame. West Kelowna only scored 1 goal on 15 shots in the period.

Cowichan got a power-play goal from Kehoe opening the third just 3 minutes in, before adding an empty netter on an early goalie pull with 3+ remaining.

The Warriors fourth goal was a BCHL first as Jared Marino got his tally, deflecting Hope's shot from the top of the circle. This came after Rylan Ferster pulled the top line off the ice, and gave Reed Gunville, Marino, and Hope the chance with the net empty in their zone.

Game Thoughts:

• A 10-minute lapse in the 1st period cost West Kelowna. When the Warriors went up 2-1 they had a 12-4 edge in shots. Cowichan Valley turned the tables after the goal, scoring twice, and out-shooting WK by a 10-1 margin over the final 7:58 of the period. Rylan Ferster thought his team was good after that, but another lapse after tying the game allowed the go-ahead goal in transition and it sunk the Warriors in the end, as the shot and rebound goal were the only 2 shots the Capitals got in the frame.
• The Warriors were out-played between the pipes tonight as Storm Phaneuf takes a huge edge in play over Keelan Williams. Looking at the goals, it's clear that Williams would like at least 3 of them back, as the shots that beat him weren't really grade A scoring chances. West Kelowna couldn't clear bodies a lot of the time in front of him either.
• The return of Kade Kehoe and Adam Osczevski went in the Capitals favour, as the two former Warriors (and linemate Patrick Geary) combined for 8 points on the night. Kehoe was a pest as usual, and ended up in a third period scrap with Tanner Campbell, who I found out after the game, was actually in his 2nd BCHL fight, as he fought Kurt Keats as a member of the Chilliwack Chiefs. 
• The coaching staff made some line changes in the game last night which ended up seeing Desbiens, Hope, and Blackburn together. I liked the way they played in the game, but its clear that the lines are not set, and may never be set as Rylan Ferster tries to find some chemistry.
• Speaking of Hope, he's been phenomenal as of late and it's been fun to watch. Points in 8 straight games, and has 8 goals and 13 assists since the start of November (12 games). Hope had 20 points in 58 games last season, let that sink in.

December 4th vs Cowichan Valley PREVIEW

The West Kelowna Warriors will entertain the Cowichan Valley Capitals tonight on Don Richmond's HAMPER NIGHT at Royal Lepage Place. The fundraiser will be run by Warriors Chaplain Don Richmond, as he looks for cash donations to put together Christmas Hampers this holiday season.

The Warriors enter play coming off a 7-3 victory over the Trail Smoke Eaters, in a game which saw 4 goals scored by West Kelowna in 2:05, which is a team record. 3 players scored a pair of goals in the game, as Connor Sodergren, Kylar Hope, and Liam Blackburn were all 1 goal shy of the hat-trick.

Speaking of Blackburn, he is now in sole possession of #2 on the Warriors All-Time Points list, as he passed Alex Grieve with 3 points on Tuesday. Blackburn sits behind only Trevor Bailey now on the list, who is 81 points ahead of Liam heading into tonight's game. While the lead on the All-Time list is pretty much unattainable unless Blackburn returns next season, keep in mind that if Blackburn plays the rest of the games this season, he will have played 72 less games than Bailey, who is the lone Warrior to play 200 games in a Westside/West Kelowna jersey.

The Cowichan Valley Capitals sit in 3rd place in their division like the Warriors, as their hot start has slowed as of late, going 4-5-0-1 in their last 10 games.

These two teams met at the BCHL Showcase, as the Warriors skated away with a 2-1 victory.

Stats Pack

Cowichan Valley – 14-10-1-3 HOME – 10-2-0-1 ROAD – 4-8-1-2 Top Scorers Ryan Burton (12 G, 18 A) Kade Kehoe (10 G, 17 A) Mitch Meek (4 G, 18 A) GF – 101 GA – 92 PP – 11th – 26 for 138 (18.8%) PK – 9th – 126 for 159 (79.3%)	West Kelowna – 17-10-0-2 HOME – 11-5-0-1 ROAD – 6-5-0-1 Top Scorers Liam Blackburn (14 G, 24 A) Jonathan Desbiens (15 G, 15 A) Kylar Hope (11 G, 17 A) GF – 109 GA – 100 PP – 4th – 31 for 127 (24.4%) PK – 11th – 117 for 148 (79.1%) Next Game – Saturday December 5th @ Merritt – 7:30 PM Nicola Valley
Head-to-Head Lifetime – West Kelowna is 11-3-0-3 All-Time vs. Cowichan Valley Warriors are 6-1 on home ice vs the Capitals Head-to-Head This Season September 25th, 2015 – West Kelowna defeated Cowichan 2-1 at the BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack.

December 1st vs Trail PREVIEW

The West Kelowna Warriors enter a busy December with a visit from the Trail Smoke Eaters tonight at Royal Lepage Place.

The Warriors are coming off a 2-1 weekend trip through the Mainland Division, with wins over Wenatchee and Surrey, before falling 4-2 to Langley on Saturday night. West Kelowna currently sits in 3rd place in the Interior, 5 points back of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

The Smoke Eaters are currently in 5th place and 6 points back of Vernon for the final playoff spot, but Trail has 3 games in hand on the Vipers. They are lead up front by Nick Halloran, and have gotten stellar performances from Bailey MacBurnie throughout the season. They recently defeated the Wenatchee Wild on the road last weekend, before falling to the Penticton Vees.

West Kelowna has a couple player streaks to watch for, as Liam Blackburn has points in 6 straight, while Kylar Hope has gone 7 straight games with a point as well.

Stats Pack:

Trail – 11-16-0-0 HOME – 6-7-0-0 ROAD – 5-9-0-0 Top Scorers Nick Halloran (10 G, 12 A) Jake Kauppila (7 G, 11 A) Max Newton (5 G, 13 A) GF – 76 GA – 115 PP – 16th – 19 for 110 (17.3%) PK – 7th – 97 for 119 (81.5%)	West Kelowna – 16-10-0-2 HOME – 10-5-0-1 ROAD – 6-5-0-1 Top Scorers Liam Blackburn (12 G, 23 A) Jonathan Desbiens (15 G, 14 A) Kylar Hope (11 G, 17 A) GF – 102 GA – 97 PP – 2nd – 31 for 123 (25.2%) PK – 10th – 115 for 145 (79.3%) Next Game – Friday December 4th Vs. Cowichan – 7 PM Royal Lepage Place
Head-to-Head Lifetime – West Kelowna is 44-14-0-6 All-Time vs. Trail The Warriors are 24-4-0-5 at home vs the Smoke Eaters Head-to-Head This Season September 15th, 2015 – West Kelowna defeated Trail 8-3.

November Month in Review

The West Kelowna Warriors finished the month of November with a 5-5 record, leaving them in 3rd in the Interior Division, 5 points back of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

The month of November hasn't been great for the Warriors in their franchise history, as they are just a few games above .500 in the month, and it's the least productive month in the standings for the team. Good news though, December, January, and February are normally pretty good.

The Warriors hit a major franchise milestone in the month as well, with their 300th Franchise win on November 18th against the Prince George Spruce Kings. It was a great way to get their 300th win, as the long trip was made more than worthwhile with the victory.

Looking at the individual efforts of the month, it was Kylar Hope that lead the way for West Kelowna with 5 goals and 11 assists for 16 points. Keep in mind that Hope had 21 points all of last season. His production has helped the Warriors, and he is consistently West Kelowna's best player night in and night out. He's been fun to watch.

Other big months offensively were Liam Blackburn (2 G, 8 A), Rylan Yaremko (4 G, 5 A), and Connor Sodergren (3 G, 6 A).

Looking at the Leading Scorers list for the Warriors All-Time, Blackburn has moved into 3rd on the list with 151 points. Those 2, along with Trevor Bailey are the only players to put up 150 points in a Warriors uniform. Bailey has an almost unattainable 235 Points.

Current Warriors in Top 50:
T-2 - Liam Blackburn (151 points)
19th - Jonathan Desbiens (83 points)
31st - Kylar Hope (61 points)
37th - Brett Mennear (54 points)
40th - Kristian Blumenschein (52 points)

Liam Blackburn has also passed the 100 assists milestone, and sits 33 assists behind Trevor Bailey in that category. Blackburn had 51 assists last year (23 currently) so it is attainable in the final 30 games.

The Month Ahead:
December is a bit of a different month schedule-wise for the Warriors, as they will play 9 times in a 21-day period. The Warriors will play 8 games before the Christmas break that starts on December 20th, and ends when the Warriors visit Trail on December 30th.

Home - 3 (vs Trail, Cowichan Valley, Penticton)
Road - 6 (@ Merritt, 3-game Trip- @ Alberni, @ Nanaimo, @ Victoria, @ Penticton, @ Trail)
vs Division - 5 (Merritt, Penticton x2, Trail x2)

Nov 28th @ Langley PREVIEW

The West Kelowna Warriors take on the Langley Rivermen tonight at the Langley Events Centre in a 6 PM start. The Rivermen are ending a 5-game home stand where they have gone 4-1, dropping only last nights game to the Merritt Centennials.

The Rivermen are 16-12 on the season, sitting 3rd in the Mainland Division, while the Warriors are 16-9-0-2, 3 points back of Salmon Arm for 2nd place in the Interior, as the 'Backs visit Vernon tonight after a 5-1 win last night.

Langley and West Kelowna meet for the 2nd time this season, after a 4-1 Warriors victory at the Bauer BCHL Showcase. Expect Keelan Williams to face Bo Didur in the crease tonight, as both had the night off last night with each team playing 3 in 3.

Looking at the Special Teams battle, the Warriors have the 3rd ranked power play at 25.2%, and they are currently 3 for 4 on this road trip. The Rivermen's Penalty Kill comes in with a 76.2% ranking, which places them 15th in the 17-team BCHL.

On the flip side, the Rivermen power play is 8th at 19.4%, and the Warriors PK is 11th at 77.5%.

It should be a dandy at the Langley Events Centre, tune in at www.mixlr.com/bchlwarriors or watch on Fast Hockey.

Pre-game show starts tonight at 5:40, with puck drop at 6.