254034
253765
BCHL  

Salmon Arm opened semi-final series with convincing 6-1 win over West Kelowna

Warriors bounced in opener

The West Kelowna Warriors were unable to match the intensity of the visiting Salmon Arm Silverbacks over the final 40 minutes in game one of their best-of-seven Interior Conference semi-final series.

The result, a 6-1 Silverbacks victory.

The Warriors came out as they did in game seven of the first round series Tuesday but were unable to keep it up as the Silverbacks took over and dominated the final 40 minutes.

The game was scoreless after the first 20. Captain Brennan Nelson had the best chance when he was sent in all alone from a sweet feed from Dylan Krayer.

However, Nelson's shot whistled just past the far post keeping the game scoreless.

The Warriors came out with a lot of jump and had some long stretches where they controlled play in the Salmon Arm end but were unable to get any good looks on Eli Pulver in the Salmon Arm net.

A penalty at the end of the period gave the Warriors a chance with the man advantage to open the second but were unable to generate anything and the momentum swung.

Nathan Mackie opened the scoring following a sloppy sequence where the Warriors mishandled or misfired the puck seemingly at will for about 30 seconds. Mackie took advantage off the rush, eventually sending a shot from the right circle that beat Matthew DellaRusso five hole.

Riley Ashe doubled the lead eight minutes later. DellaRusso stopped an initial shot but the puck squirted past him into the blue paint.

Ashe eventually tapped it in through a maze of sticks.

The Warriors were unable to find another gear to try and climb into it in the third.

The Silverbacks added four more in the third, including two on AP Kaden Clegg who came in for DellaRusso after allowing a third goal on a rebound early in the final period.

Viggo Nordström spoiled Eli Pulver's bid for a shutout with a shot from the slot with less than four minutes left.

But it was a lack of intensity and a lack of discipline in the second that sent the visitors on their way in game one.

"I thought we came out with a lot of energy and we outplayed them the first 10 minutes in their zone," said head coach Simon Ferguson.

"We just didn't get to the hard areas then we thought it was going to be easy and that's when they started stepping up and started playing.

"And you start getting some calls that maybe we don't like...then they take the momentum from there."

The Silverbacks outshot the Warriors 40-22, including 29-17 over the final 40 minutes.

While the Silverbacks were dominant in game one, Ferguson reminds fans one game does not a series make.

"It's a seven games series and we'll see what happens. I would love to get a little more energy in the building like it was in game seven again and I know the guys will feed off that."

The Warriors will try and turn the tables and even the series in game two Saturday back at Royal LePage Place.



More BCHL articles



255241

RECENT STORIES





244598




249255



Cover your team's games! Write up a story and email us [email protected] for publication here.


253275



251880
254428