The Cranbrook Bucks had a successful return home Saturday night after six games on the road, this came in the form of a gutsy 6-4 victory versus the Victoria Grizzlies.
Victoria appeared to have control of the game in the early goings of the first period. The Grizzlies got early goals from Olivier Picard and Jacksenn Hungle to take a 2-0 lead by the 8:30 mark. However, the Bucks managed to erase the two-goal deficit by the end of the opening frame with a pair of goals from Noah Quinn. The game was knotted in a 2-2 draw after twenty minutes.
The Bucks gained a lead shortly after the three-minute mark of the second period when Noah Quinn completed his natural hat-trick to put Cranbrook up 3-2. The Grizzlies managed to tie the game 3-3 late in the middle frame when Eli Barnett converted a bounce off the Bucks’ end boards, but Cranbrook was able to respond in short order. The Bucks retook the lead at 4-3 with less than ninety seconds to go before intermission when Donovan Frias tipped a Rhys Bentham shot past Victoria goalie Gus Holt. The score was 4-3 in favour of Cranbrook after two periods.
Third period action was even through the first seven minutes until a breakaway goal from Bentham put the Bucks up by two goals at 5-3. Victoria inched closer six minutes left in regulation time with a goal from Luc Pelletier to make it a 5-4 game. The Grizzlies pulled their goalie for an extra attacker in the waning minutes of the hockey game, but the Bucks capitalized with a Jack Silich marker on an empty net to seal a 6-4 victory.
Saturday’s win improves Cranbrook’s record to 10-6-1, the Bucks outshot Victoria 45-33. Cranbrook will aim to push their current winning streak to three games when they step on the ice Friday, November 18 versus the Merritt Centennials.
Buck Tracks:
- Donovan Frias (1g,1a) extends point streak to 4 games.
- Natural hat-trick for Noah Quinn.
- 4 point night for Jack Silich (1g,3a), 3 assists for Kellan Hjartarson.
- Carter Capton wins in his first start at Western Financial Place.
Lead Photo by Avery Hanson
