The Cranbrook Bucks delivered a strong home performance on Wednesday night at Western Financial Place, defeating the West Kelowna Warriors 5-3 in Game 4 of their BCHL playoff series. With the win, the Bucks now hold a commanding 3-1 series advantage and are one victory away from advancing.
The first period belonged to the Bucks, as they jumped out to a fast start in front of an energetic crowd of 1,260 fans. Konstantin Hutzinger opened the scoring at 4:57 with help from Cadel Gourlay and Matthew Gilmore. West Kelowna responded quickly when Ruslan Jamaldinov tied the game at 6:22, but Cranbrook regained the lead just before the midway point when Matthew Gilmore scored at 15:40, assisted by Nathan Simm and Hutzinger.
The Bucks kept the pressure on and extended their advantage to 3-1 with just 17 seconds left in the opening frame. Adam Csabi found the net on a feed from Samuel Lyne and Teo Pisani, giving the home side a two-goal cushion heading into the intermission.
West Kelowna mounted a comeback in the second period. Ian Crowley narrowed the gap to 3-2 at 5:51, and Natan Éthier tied the game at 3-3 with just 12 seconds remaining in the period on a controversial play that saw a Bucks forward hit from behind in the lead up. The Warriors’ goaltending change — pulling Angelo Zol after the first period and inserting Bor Glavič — helped stabilize them temporarily, but the Bucks would not let momentum slip away.
In the third period, Cranbrook regained control early. Konstantin Hutzinger notched his second goal of the night at 1:36 on a beautful pass to the back door by Jack McMinn to restore the lead at 4-3. Konnor Bissell then added an insurance goal at 3:13, with helpers from Mitch Patrick and Grant Denuccio, putting the game out of reach at 5-3.
Josh Scully was solid in net for the Bucks, making 27 saves on 30 shots for the victory. The Warriors’ netminders combined for 26 saves on 31 shots, with Glavič taking the loss after entering in the second period.
Key Performers
- Konstantin Hutzinger earned first-star honours with a two-goal, one-assist night.
- Nathan Simm and Konnor Bissell rounded out the three stars.
- Camden Charron was named the FortisBC Energy Player of the Game for his strong defensive and leadership contributions.
Game Stats
- Final Score: Cranbrook Bucks 5, West Kelowna Warriors 3
- Shots on Goal: Bucks 31 – Warriors 30
- Goaltenders: Josh Scully (W) 27/30 | Angelo Zol / Bor Glavič (L)
The Bucks now have a golden opportunity to close out the series on the road. Game 5 is scheduled for Friday, April 10 in West Kelowna. If necessary, the series would return to Cranbrook for Game 6.
