Third time’s a charm, right?
It took three tries, but the Cranbrook Bucks have finally registered a win over the Wenatchee Wild this season following Wednesday’s 3-2 triumph.
First period action was tentative. Neither team ushered too many quality chances, though a strong Cranbrook penalty kill was able to hold Wenatchee’s power play at bay twice. The Bucks were outshot 13-8 through the first twenty minutes, the game remained deadlocked at 0-0 at intermission.
Both teams found a spark in the second period. Rhys Bentham kicked off the scoring for Cranbrook with a power play goal at 3:42 to lift his team to a 1-0 lead. Wenatchee responded quickly with Parker Murray’s first of two goals at 5:35 to tie the game 1-1. Murray added his second tally at 12:23 with a booming slapshot which beat Bucks goalie Nathan Airey and put the Wild up 2-1. It appeared that Wenatchee’s lead would carry over to the third period, but the Bucks had other plans. Cranbrook’s Bauer Morrissey got the tying goal with just twenty-one seconds left in the middle frame after a scramble in the Wenatchee zone. The game was tied 2-2 after forty minutes.
Cranbrook jumped out to a 3-2 lead just over six-minutes into the third period. Luke Pfoh found a rebound off a Cam Kungle point shot to beat Andy Vlaha in the Wenatchee net to put his team back into a one-goal lead. The Wild continued to press, but they could not beat Nathan Airey the rest of the way. End result; Bucks win 3-2.
Cranbrook’s win brings their record to 13-8-1. The Bucks were outshot 43-31 Wednesday night. On special teams, Cranbrook’s power play finished 1/2 and their penalty-kill was 4/4.
The Bucks are back on the road this weekend for a pair of meetings with the Prince George Spruce Kings Friday and Saturday.
Buck Tracks:
- Jarrod Smith plays his 90th BCHL game.
- 1 goal for Rhys Bentham, 22 points this season (5th among BCHL defencemen)
Lead photo by Martin Ross
