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Bucks pick up three of four points this weekend

Playoff opponent yet to take focus with Interior Conference bottom-four logjam
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The Cranbrook Bucks picked up three of four points this weekend in BCHL action against the West Kelowna Warriors and the Wenatchee Wild. Photo courtesy Cranbrook Bucks.

The Bucks picked up three of four possible points this weekend, dropping the West Kelowna Warriors 6-3, while falling to the Wenatchee Wild 5-4 in a shootout.

Despite facing a 4-1 deficit after two periods against the Wild, the Bucks rallied to take the game into overtime and eventually, a shootout during Sunday’s road action in Washington State.

Ean Somoza opened the scoring in the first period on the powerplay for an early one-goal lead after 20 minutes.

Lucas Marshall and Micah Berger piled on for the Wild in the second period before Markus Yim put the Bucks on the board at the halfway mark. Marshall potted another goal by the end of the frame for a dominant 4-1 lead after 40 minutes.

However, the tide turned in the final frame.

Bryce Sookro, Kellan Hjartarson and Luke Pfoh scored three unanswered, the latter on the powerplay with three minutes to go, to even up the affair and send it into overtime.

The extra OT periods solved nothing so off to a shootout it went.

It took 13 rounds to solve the matter, until David Hejduk tallied the game-winner for Wenatchee.

Bucks netminder Nathan Airey made 33 saves, while Andy Vlaha made 38 stops for the Wild.

Earlier, on Friday night, the Bucks offence took over in the middle frame as The Herd built up and early lead en route to a 6-3 win over the Warriors.

Noah Quinn and Donovan Frias opened the scoring in the first period for an early two-goal lead.

The Warriors fired right back less than a minute apart early in the second, with goals from Isaiah Norlin and Christopher Duclair.

However, The Herd piled it on from there.

Luke Pfoh, Bauer Morrissey and Jack Silich scored three unanswered to close out the frame, while Cameron Kungle tallied early in the third period.

Ben MacDonald responded for the Warriors halfway through the final period before the Bucks locked it down to close out the win.

Bucks netminder Nathan Airey made 26 saves for the win, while Warriors stopper Angelo Zol made 19 saves in defeat.

The Bucks sit comfortably in second place in the Interior Conference as the BCHL wraps up regular season action this weekend. The Bucks will host the Prince George Spruce Kings for a home double-header this weekend that could carry playoff implications.

As things stand on Monday morning (March 20), the West Kelowna Warriors, Prince George Spruce Kings and Vernon Vipers are all tied for 58 points in the conference, while the Wenatchee Wild sit at 57 points.

Rounding out eighth place for the last playoff spot is the Trail Smoke Eaters with 45 points.

No one is catching the Bucks for second place in the Interior Conference so this weekend’s game results will factor into who Cranbrook faces in the first round of the BCHL post-season.

Including the Bucks double-header with Prince George.



Trevor Crawley

About the Author: Trevor Crawley

Trevor Crawley has been a reporter with the Cranbrook Townsman and Black Press in various roles since 2011.
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