Warriors fall in opener

Photo: Wayne Moore

This goal from Brandon Dent was waived off due to incidental contact with the goaltender.

Landon Fuller snapped a 2-2 tie with less than four minutes left to lift the Vernon Vipers past the West Kelowna Warriors 4-2 in the opening game of the BCHL season for both teams.

Fuller snapped a wrist shot from the left circle off the rush that appeared to beat a screened Brock Baier far to the glove side.

Connor Marritt sealed the victory with an empty net goal with seconds left.

The loss, which spoiled the home opener for the Warriors could be even more costly after captain Jake Harrison left the game after he was levelled as he turned with the puck at the side of his own net by Viper forward Logan Cash.

"Blind side hit. Really disappointing to see such a...you know I don't think there was any intent to injure on the play," said Warriors head coach Brandon West.

"It just happened really fast. Seeing a 20-year-old like Jake...he's just a kid, and seeing that situation is never easy."

West said he would see what happens after Harrison is checked out by the doctor before determining if he will be forced to miss any games.

Forward Lucas Cullen, not known as a fighter, jumped in to defend Harrison. Both he and Cash were handed game misconducts for their brief scrap.

The Vipers had the edge in play early, and jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead when 17-year-old Cam MacDonald made a nifty move around a defender in the slot, and wired a wrist shot off the post and behind Baier.

The Warriors grabbed some momentum from a power play later in the period, and eventually tied it two seconds after the penalty expired when Levi Stauber wired a wrist shot of his own from the left faceoff circle that beat Max Pagala just under the bar on the short side.

Just 25 seconds later, Ryan Upson grabbed a loose puck in the right circle and beat Pagala to give the Warriors their first lead of the night.

The lead was short ,lived, as Ben Helgeson tied it just 42 seconds later.

The goaltenders took over after that.

Baier robbed Ben Sanderson with a sprawling glove save when the Vipers forward appeared to have more then half the net to shoot at, then made an incredible pad save off Elan Bar Lev Wise in the third.

Not to be outdone, Pagala flashed leather of his own as he somehow managed to get his glove on a rocket of a shot from Cullen in close on a three-on-one.

The Warriors appeared to take the lead 18 minutes into the second when Brandon Dent jammed the puck home from the top of the crease, however, the officials immediately waved the goal off.

After a brief discussion, they ruled no goal.

"He said there was just incidental (goaltender) contact," said West.

"We're going to watch it on video, and that's all I'm going to say about that."

The Warriors were outshot 39-26 over the course of the 60 minutes, including 15-4 in the decisive final period.

West Kelowna get back at it Saturday night when they host the Wenatchee Wild at Royal LePage Place.

The game will start, as all Saturday games this season, at 6 p.m.

If Harrison is unable to go, the Warriors will be forced to play one under the limit, or bring up an affiliated player for the game.

The Warriors are already without forward Parm Dhaliwal and defenceman Garrett Ewert to injury, and defenceman Ryan Novecosky, who will serve the second game of a two-game suspension.