An up-and-down start to the new year for the West Kelowna Warriors.
On Jan. 5, the Warriors treated the hometown crowd at Royal LePage Place to a 5-0 shutout of the Merritt Centennials.
Jack Pridham started things early with a goal just 39 seconds into the first period. The assists went to Sean Keohane and Callum Hughes.
Brennan Nelson would make it 2-0 at 12:55 of the first with an assist from Landen Hilditch.
There was just one goal in the second period, from the stick of Viggo Nordstrom at 12:54 making it 3-0. Jackson Kyrkostas and Isaiah Norlin added the assists.
Kyrkostas put the Warriors up 4-0 at the 10:54 mark of the third period, with an assist coming from Nelson.
Pridham netted his second of the night, at 14:39 of the third, with assists to Michael Salandra and Caden Kemkaran-Humble.
West Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 Rorke Applebee made 18 saves to earn the shutout, while the Warriors fired 35 shots at two Merritt goaltenders in the 5-0 win.
On Jan. 6 West Kelowna hosted the Cranbrook Bucks at Prospera Place.
Most of the scoring was done in the first period as the teams combined for eight goals.
Cranbrook went up 1-0 at 2:44 of the period, but the Warriors害羞草研究所� Michael Salandra tied it two minutes later with an unassisted, short-handed goal.
Callum Hughes put West Kelowna up 2-1 at 6:54 of the first with assists to Pridam and Norlin.
The Bucks responded with four unanswered goals over eight minutes, including two power-play markers.
Nelson got one back for the Warriors at 19:28 and the period ended with Cranbrook up 5-3.
Norlin scored on the power play at 1:01 of the second period, with Felix Caron and Pridham assisting, to bring the Warriors within one.
It was not to be, however, as Cranbrook held West Kelowna off the scoresheet for the rest of the game, with the Bucks adding the insurance marker at 15:42 of the third period for the 6-4 win.
As of Jan. 8, the Warriors are in second place in the BCHL Interior Division with a record of 21-7-4-0-0 and 46 points, two points behind the Penticton Vees.
West Kelowna wraps up a four-game home stand against the Cowichan Valley Capitals Jan. 13, and the Merritt Centennials Jan. 14.
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