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BCHL  

Warriors atop Interior

The West Kelowna Warriors made it two in a row on home ice Tuesday, following a 5-2 home ice victory over the Langley Rivermen.

The win avenges a similar loss three weeks ago in Langley and, also vaults the Warriors back atop the Interior Division standings.

The Warriors and Vernon Vipers both have 20 points in the division, however, the Warriors find themselves ahead based on their 10 wins on the season.

West Kelowna were able to skate away with the win, despite watching a power play fail to score on 11 opportunities. This included a full two minute, two-man advantage in the dying moments of a one goal game and a one minute two-man opportunity in the second.

"It's certainly not good," said assistant coach Shae Naka.

"It was probably concerning in the third period when we had a chance to really bury them with four power plays. In the second, we didn't get the goals, but there were certainly some opportunities. I thought we were creating some opportunities in the second."

Naka said the Warriors would have won this one a little more comfortably with better execution with the man advantage.

As it was, they had to sweat out the final moments, clinging to a 3-2 lead. It wasn't until Chase Dubois scored his second of the night into an empty net with 61 seconds left that the final outcome was no longer in doubt.

Peter Tomaras also found the empty net seconds later to put the Warriors up three.

After a scoreless, and sluggish opening 20 minutes, Langley opened the scoring midway through the second. Jake Livingstoke threw a puck on net from the right faceoff circle that squeezed through the pads of Nik Amundrud.

The Warriors got that one back, and more five minutes later.

RJ Murphy found a loose puck at the edge of the Langley net and eventually backhanded home his firth to tie it.

Less than a minute later, Dubois snapped a four-game scoreless drought when he faked forehand and roofed a backhand past Braeden Fleming on a breakaway to put West Kelowna up for good.

Jared Marino netted his team leading sixth early in the third when he banged home a loose puck in the crease.

Langley took advantage of a crazy bounce to get back to within one later in the period, but that was as close as they got.

The Warriors nearly doubled Langley on the shot clock, directing 46 shots toward Fleming, while the Rivermen were able to get just 24 on Amundrud.

While the power play, the penalty killers did not. The Warriors league leading penalty killers didn't give up anything in five opportunities.

The Warriors have now killed off 18 straight penalties, spanning almost four full games.

West Kelowna closes out its four game homestand Saturday when the Cowichan Valley Capitals come to town.

It's the second meeting between the two teams this season. The Warriors edged Cowichan 2-1 at the Showcase in Chilliwack a month ago. The Capitals sit at the bottom of the Island Division with just one win in 12 games.



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