Another win Saturday night goes a long way to helping the Cranbrook Bucks solidify their grasp on the second seed in the Interior Conference standings as the playoffs veer on the horizon.
The Bucks were strong in fending off a hungry Vernon Vipers team for a 4-2 win Saturday in front of more than 2,700 fans.
The Vipers put a hush over the crowd with an early first period goal from Lee Parks at 1:17 to go up 1-0. However, a quick response by way of a point shot through traffic from Bauer Morrissey at 2:37 to vault his Bucks back to a 1-1 tie. Neither team was able to add any more offense through the first period, the score remained 1-1 at intermission with the Bucks holding an 11-6 edge in the shots count.
Cranbrook took the lead early in the second period, a Vernon giveaway allowed Luke Pfoh to tally at 1:46 to put the Bucks up 2-1. A Jarrod Smith goal at 14:20 made it a 3-1 Bucks lead, and their two-goal lead held steady through the forty-minute mark.
Vernon began to fire more pucks toward the Cranbrook goal in the third period, and they were eventually rewarded. A goal off a point blast from Isaac Tremblay at 6:04 put the Vipers to within one goal at 3-2. The Vipers kept up their pressure and pulled their goalie for an extra attacker in the dying minutes, but the Bucks would capitalize with a late goal on the yawning cage from Donovan Frias to secure a 4-2 win.
Cranbrookâs victory brings their record to 27-10-1-1, their 56 points ranks them second in the Interior Conference standings. The Bucks outshot Vernon 34-20.
The Bucks return to action Friday to begin a home-and-home with the Smoke Eaters in Trail, the two clubs face each other again in Cranbrook on Saturday.
Buck Tracks:
- Donovan Frias (1g) reaches 30 points in his first BCHL season.
- 3 point weekend for Jarrod Smith, 1g vs Vernon.
Lead photo by Martin Ross
