The Cranbrook Bucks earned a convincing win Sunday to open their 2024 BCHL Showcase excursion in Abbotsford, taking a 5-1 victory versus the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
Neither side had much going on in the first period. The Bucks outshot the Vancouver Island club 7-5 in a scoreless opening twenty-minutes.
Both clubs managed to find paydirt in the early goings of the middle frame. The Bucks opened the scoring at 2:47 with Baden Pazdzierski’s first BCHL goal. The Bulldogs tied the game before the five-minute mark by way of a Brady McIsaac goal. Cranbrook was able to retake the lead thanks to a Kaslo Ferner power play tally, and held a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.
Cranbrook ran away with the game in the third period. Goals from Patrick Murphy, Tanner Fennell and Jordan Murphy put the Bucks on track to go on the right side of a 5-1 final, moving their winning streak to three games.
Sunday’s triumph puts Cranbrook’s record at 6-1-0. On special teams, the Bucks were 2/6 on the power play and 1/1 on the penalty kill, they also won the shots battle at 29-18.
The Bucks will have their sets site on sweeping their two games at this year’s BCHL Showcase when they face the Nanaimo Clippers Tuesday morning.
Buck Tracks:
- Miles Roberts stops 17 of 18 shots for his first BCHL win.
- 1st career BCHL goals for Tanner Fennel and Baden Pazdzierski
- 4 game point streak for Jordan Murray (3g,1a)
