The Cranbrook Bucks have gone the distance, again.
The Bucks returned home Friday night going toe-to-toe with the West Kelowna Warriors, and they were rewarded with a 2-1 overtime win.
First period action showcased a goaltender duel between Cranbrook’s Carter Capton and West Kelowna’s Rork Applebee, both were flawless through twenty minutes. The Warriors outshot the Bucks 13-8, and the score remained 0-0 at the first intermission.
West Kelowna began to tilt the ice to their advantage in the second period, but it was the Bucks who broke the scoreless deadlock. Blake Cotton tipped a Malachi Freh point shot to give Cranbrook a 1-0 lead at 17:11. Cranbrook’s 1-0 lead held steady through the second buzzer.
The Warriors finally solved Cranbrook’s Capton midway through the third period. A well placed shot from Jack Pridham tied the game 1-1 at 12:09. Nether team gave much room for error through the remaining minutes of regulation, prompting an overtime finish with a 1-1 tie after the final frame.
It took nearly the entire ten minutes of overtime to decide the winner, and Cranbrook’s Jacob Fletcher called game. The red-hot forward netted the game-winner with just sixteen seconds left on the clock to secure a 2-1 win for the Bucks.
Friday’s win lifts Cranbrook’s record to 17-23-2, West Kelowna outshot the Bucks 40-25. On special teams, the Bucks went 0/2 on the power play and 1/1 on the penalty kill.
The Bucks will aim for a 2-0 weekend when they face the Merritt Centennials Saturday night.
Buck Tracks:
- 3 game point streak for Jacob Fletcher (3-2-5).
- 2 pts for Blake Cotton (1g,1a).
- Carter Capton stops 39/40 shots.
– Photo Credit: Trevor Crawley
