A blown lead has cost the West Kelowna Warriors for the second straight game as they were unable to finish Cranbrook’s season on Friday night.
Going into the Apr. 12 contest with a 3-1 series lead, the Warriors were looking for a game five victory on home ice to advance to the next round. Instead, they lost a heartbreaking game 6-5.
West Kelowna had another great start as they were up 2-0 after the first period. Johannes Løkkeberg and Jackson Kyrkostas scored powerplay goals just under three minutes apart for the 2-0 lead.
The second period was a different story for the Warriors as the Cranbrook Bucks’ forwards Jack Silich and Bryce Sookro each scored to tie the game.
At the 12:00 mark of the frame, the European connection continued their great play in the series as Viggo Nordström scored a shorthanded goal, assisted by Løkkeberg to take the lead.
But the Bucks stormed back as Silich scored his second of the game, on the powerplay, just 49 seconds after Nordström’s goal.
Less than two minutes after that, Shane Baker scored to give Cranbrook a 4-3 lead.
In the third period, Simon Houge scored his first goal of the postseason at the 8:42 mark for the Warriors to tie the game once again.
But again just 28 seconds later, Noah Urness found the back of the net, also his first of the playoffs, to regain Cranbrook’s lead.
Less than a minute later, Jaden Fodchuk scored to make the Bucks lead 6-4.
Trent Wilson scored late for the Warriors to make it 6-5 but that’s as close as they would come.
Warriors goaltender Matthew DellaRusso made 28 saves in the loss. Carter Capton made 25 saves on the win for Cranbrook.
With the win, the Bucks force game six, which takes place back in Cranbrook at Western Financial Place on Sunday, Apr. 14 at 3 p.m. Pacific time. West Kelowna still leads the series 3-2.
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