The Cranbrook Bucks are back in regular season action — taking their game on the road to kick off 2022-2023.
The Herd is 1-1 after a victory over the Merritt Centennials Friday, Sept. 23, and a loss to the Penticton Vees the next night.
In Merrit, Luke Pfoh scored the Bucks’ first goal of the season halfway through the first. Jack Henry’s first ever goal in the BCHL gave Cranbrook a two-goal lead shortly after, and Jarrod Smith made it 3-0 to close the first period.
Goals from Jack Silich and Kellan Hjartarson chased Centennials’ goaltender Hayden Dunford from the net, with Merik Erickson replacing him at the 15 minute mark of the second frame. Merrit was finally able to put a couple past Cranbrook goalie Nathan Airey (goals from Connor Farren and Diego Johnson), but after a scoreless third period, the game ended 5-2 Bucks.
Nathan Airey stopped 28 of 30 shots for Cranbrook.
The Bucks also announced Friday that Rhys Bentham will hear the C as team captain, with Cam Kungle, Noah Quinn and Kellan Hjartarson as assistant captains.
Saturday night, another game, another story, as the Bucks rolled into Penticton to face the powerful Bees, winners of last season’s BCHL championship and the Fred Page Cup.
The Bucks were taken aback by a Penticton first period onslaught, with the Vees scoring three goals in less than three minutes before the game was three minutes old (Dover Tinling, Thomas Pichette and Ben Brunette). The Bucks fought back with a goal from Luke Pfoh at the five minute mark, but two minutes later Billy Norcross made it 4-1, on a Vees power play.
Josh Nadeau scored in the second period for Penticton, and Hiroki Gojsic and Brad Nadeau in the third to wrap things up, 7-1 for the Vees.
Nathan Airey was 30 for 37 in the shot department, Luca Di Pasquo was 16 for 17 for the Vees.
Cranbrook have a week to lick their wounds, and get ready to face the Smoke Eaters in Trail, Friday, Sept. 30, against the Trail Smoke Eaters. The Bucks face Trail again in the Cranbrook regular season home-opener on Saturday, Oct. 1, at Western Financial Place.