Warriors fry Smokies

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Connor Sodergren scored twice, including the game winner as the Warriors dumped Trail 7-3 Tuesday.

The West Kelowna Warriors did most of their damage during a wild 125 second span early in the second period in a 7-3 win over the visiting Trail Smoke Eaters Tuesday at Royal LePage Place.

Leading 2-0, the Warriors established a franchise record with four goals in a span of 2:05 on two different goalies to take a commanding lead they would not relinquish.

Liam Blackburn (4:33), Connor Sodergren (5:04), Kyle Marino (6:00) and Kyler Hope (6:38) all scored during the record setting span.

Sandwiched between those four goals was a goal from Trail's Nick Halloran.

Sodergren and Hope in the first period and Blackburn late in the third scored the other Warriors goals. Brett Mennear had three assists.

The previous franchise record for fastest four goals was 2:59 during a 6-1 win over the Cowichan Valley Capitals Oct. 6, 2013.

"We were a little fortunate to probably score four in that period but we played some good hockey in that four minutes and were rewarded for it," said assistant coach Shea Naka.

"It's nice to have some breaks go our way on home ice."

It was also a better result than the last time the Warriors played before the home crowd, a 10-5 loss to Alberni Valley.

"We were a little fortunate tonight but it's nice to get a win on home ice," said Naka.

"We lost our last one here so it;s nice to have a little better performance on home ice. Sometimes we struggle to score so it;s nice to put up a few tonight."

Hope got the Warriors on the board just 49 seconds in. Mennear dumped the puck in from centre ice on a play the Smokies believed should have been an icing call.

Goaltender Linden Marshall and his defencemen both missed the puck off the boards allowing Hope to get the loose puck and beat Marshall to the short side.

Sodergren doubled the lead late in the period when his one-timer from the slot beat Marshall again to the short side.

Blackburn got the wild second period rolling at 4:33 when his shot from the corner boards somehow found an opening high to the short side. Thirty-one seconds later Sodergren saw a rebound glance off his skate and in for what turned out to be the game winner.

It also ended Marshall's night after he gave up four goals on 25 shots.

Bailey MacBurnie relieved Marshall and, after Halloran got the Smokies on the board, saw the first two shots he faced find the mark.

The Warriors got sloppy in their own end in the third as Trail potted a pair to cut the margin to three before Blackburn's second put an end to the scoring with less than seven minutes to go.

The win may have come at a cost. Defenceman Kristian Blumenschein and Hope both left the game with injuries.

Neither returned.

Naka said he didn't know the extent of the injuries but said both would be considered day-to-day until the team is able to get more information.

Their status for Friday's date with Cowichan Valley is still up in the air.

Tuesday's win was the third in four games for the Warriors who again find themselves three points in back of the second place Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Salmon Arm does hold two games in hand.