A valiant comeback bid fell short for the Cranbrook Bucks Saturday in a 4-3 loss to the West Kelowna Warriors.
The Bucks came into the game with aims of snapping a three-game losing streak, and held the early edge in play with a decisive lead in shots over the road team. However, it was the Warriors who managed to fill the net in the early stages of the game. A pair of goals from Felix Caron and one from Brennan Nelson left Cranbrook in a 3-0 hole after twenty minutes, despite the Bucks outshooting the Warriors 15-7.
Cranbrook went with a goaltending change to start the second period, with Carter Capton replacing Danick Leroux, though it took awhile for the change to ignite a spark among the forwards. The Bucks finally started to chip away at West Kelowna’s lead when Noah Urness potted his eighth goal of the season at the 13:58 mark to put Cranbrook on the board at a 3-1 deficit. Cranbrook pulled to within one goal thanks to a buzzer-beater from Luke Pfoh, who tallied with just eight seconds left in the middle frame, sending the game to intermission at a 3-2 Warriors lead.
A third period power play gave the Bucks an opportunity to tie the game, and Loke Sodergren was able to take advantage with a point blast to deadlock the game at 3-3. It appeared the Bucks had momentum on their side after erasing their three-goal deficit, but the Warriors wasted little time taking the starch out of the hometown crowd. Just forty-two seconds after Sodergren’s goal, the Warriors caught a break on an off-speed shot from Jackson Kyrkostas to restore their lead at 4-3. Cranbrook continued to push, but were held off the scoresheet the rest of the way through regulation, and settled for a 4-3 loss to West Kelowna.
Saturday’s loss drops Cranbrook’s record to 3-9-1, they’re on a four game losing streak. Cranbrook outshot the Warriors 29-25 while going 1/2 on the power play and 3/4 on the penalty kill.
The Bucks will get a chance to battle back in the win column midweek, they begin a three-game Interior road trip Wednesday versus the Vernon Vipers.
Buck Tracks:
- Loke Sodergren scores 1st career BCHL goal.
- Danick Leroux named StellarVista Credit Union Community Player of the Month.
- 2 pts for Noah Urness (1g,1a).
