The Cranbrook Bucks played their first game in the USA in the franchise’s young history on Thursday night, but a 3-2 loss to the Wenatchee Wild will leave them seeking redemption in Friday’s rematch.
Thursday’s clash was the first-ever regular-season meeting between the BCHL’s two newest franchises, the Wild joined the league in the 2015-16 season and the Bucks began to play in the 2021 pod season.
The first period was a feeling-out process. Cranbrook was able to outshoot the Wild 8-6 and killed a Wenatchee power play. The game remained 0-0 to start the second period.
The home team was able to build a lead with a pair of quick goals in the second period. First, Wild D-man Travis Bohnet tallied the first goal of the game, and his BCHL career, at 6:13. Wenatchee doubled their lead less than one-minute later at 6:56 thanks to Ean Somoza’s seventh goal of the season. The Bucks found a response midway through the period via Noah Quinn’s 14th goal of the year to make it a 2-1 game, that’s how the score stood after forty minutes.
Wenatchee’s Cade Littler restored his team’s two goal lead on a Wild power play just 34-seconds into the third period to put his team up 3-1. Cranbrook got back to within one goal of the hosts when Liam Hansson blasted a shot past Wenatchee goalie Tyler Shae. However, the Bucks couldn’t complete the comeback, and fell 3-2 in their first game versus the Wild.
The Bucks won the shots battle 37-30, Wenatchee converted on one of two power-play chances while Cranbrook didn’t get a power-play opportunity through the game.
With the loss, Cranbrook’s record falls to 17-12-2 and the Wild improves to 10-11-4-1. The Bucks remain fifth in the Interior Conference standings and the Wild are seventh.
These two teams will meet again Friday night to close Cranbrook’s first stateside double-header.
Buck Tracks:
- Tyson Dyck picked up 1 assist to move to sole possession of 2nd place in BCHL scoring (18-24-42).
- Two points for Liam Hansson since joining the line with Tyson Dyck and Johnny Johnson.
- Bucks road record falls to 8-7-1 (.513)
- Good discipline from both teams: 0 penalties for Wild, 2 penalties for Cranbrook.
