The Cranbrook Bucks’ BCHL Showcase debut has come and gone.
It wasn’t a great day at the office for the Bucks, as they fell 5-3 to the Powell River Kings Friday afternoon.
Both clubs had their special teams on display in the first period. The Kings opened with a short-handed goal from Karter McNarland at 10:40, the Bucks responded shortly after with a Jarrod Smith goal on the same Cranbrook power play to tie the game 1-1. A Mark D’Agostino goal around the 14-minute mark gave Powell River a 2-1 lead to begin the second period.
The middle frame saw little action on either end, Bucks forward Walker Gelbard had the only goal in the second period to tie the game 2-2.
Play opened up on both sides of the rink in the third period, a pair of goals from Karter McNarland to give him a hattrick would eventually sink the Bucks for a 5-3 loss. The loss brings the Bucks record to 2-3 while Powell River improves to 2-4.
The Bucks continue their first ever BCHL Showcase experience Saturday afternoon versus the Cowichan Valley Capitals.
Buck Tracks:
- Bucks captain Rhys Bentham and defenceman Cam Kungle were not on the ice tonight. Both were serving the part of their two-game suspensions. They will be able to return on October 30 versus the Nanaimo Clippers.
- Cranbrook forward Zeth Kindrachuk made his first appearance of the season after recovering from an injury. Kindrachuk was tied as the Bucks scoring leader with 9 points through the 2021 pod season
- Cranbrook outshot Powell River 35-21 – it was the first ever BCHL game between the two franchises.
- Bucks forward Tyson Dyck had 1 assist to bring his team-leading point total to 7. He has had at least one point in each of Cranbrook’s five games this season.
