The Cranbrook Bucks’ winning streak came to an end Saturday, November 19, with a 5-2 loss at Western Financial Place to the visiting Wenatchee Wild.
The team from Chelan County, Washington, got off to a strong first period start with a goal from Michael Valdez at the five-minute mark, and a second from Luke Weilandt seven minutes later. Donovan Frias got the Bucks on the board, with assists from Jack Silich and Bauer Morrissey, before the period came to an end. By then the Wild had outshot Cranbrook 15-7.
Jack Silich tied things up for Cranbrook mere seconds into the second, with assists from Donovan Frias and Jack Henry, but Micah Berger scored what would be the winning goal for Wenatchee at 12:27.
The Bucks got their offensive ways back in the second half of the game, upping their shots on goal, but were unable to capitalize on several Wenatchee penalties, and two goals from Cade Littler in the third put things away for the Wild.
Nathan Airey stopped 31 of 35 shots on net for the Bucks; in goal from Wenatchee Andy Vlaha stopped 24 of 26.
The announced attendance at Western Financial Place on Saturday was 2,210.
The night before, however, it was a different story (though the tally on the scoreboard was the same), as the Bucks beat the visiting Merritt Centennials 5-2.
The Bucks came out strong in the first, outshooting their opponents 20-8, and goals from Donovan Frias, Noah Quinn, Nick Peluso and Jack Silich made it 4-0 by the first intermission.
Merritt made a game out of it in the second, getting two markers from Walker Erickson (on the power play) and Connor Farren, but Donovan Frias’s second of the game in the third, into the empty net with goaltender Johnny Hicks pulled for the extra Merritt attacker, sealed the deal for Cranbrook.
Nathan Airey stopped 25 of 27 shots for Cranbrook. Connor Sullivan stopped 16 of 20 for Merritt before Johnny Hicks stepped in for the Centennials in the second period. Hicks stopped all 23 shots he faced.
Announced attendance at Western Financial Place on Friday was 2,219.
The Bucks are sitting in fifth place of the Interior Conference of the BCHL, with an 11-7-1 record. With 23 points in the standings, the Cranbrook Bucks are five points ahead of the sixth place Trail Smoke Eaters.
The Bucks next travel to Vernon (November 25) and Salmon Arm (November 26) to face the Vipers and Silverbacks.