Warriors rebound, nip Vees

Photo: Wayne Moore

Lucas Cullen tucks home the game winning goal Tuesday.

The West Kelowna Warriors bounced back in a big way from their worst defeat of the season.

The Warriors, pounded 8-3 in Merritt Sunday, came back Tuesday night with a solid 3-1 victory over the Penticton Vees in the home half of a home-and-home with their division foes.

The win, before 846 mostly delirious fans, moved the Warriors back into a first place tie with the Centennials heading into Wednesday's rematch in Penticton.

"Merritt was certainly a low point, and sometimes the train just goes off the track a little bit, and that's what happened Sunday," said head coach Geoff Grimwood.

"I was really excited to see how we were going to respond and I thought the guys were really good tonight.

The Warriors did all the damage they needed to in the first 40 minutes.

Parm Dhaliwal got the ball rolling with his sixth of the season 15 minutes into the first. He stole the puck from behind the after goaltender Derek Krall and a defenceman seemed to get their signals cross.

He powered his way toward the front of the net and slid the puck into the yawning cage.

Lucas Cullen doubled the lead with the eventual game winner early in the second as he circled out of the left corner, drove toward the front of the net and slid the puck into the far side from the top of the crease.

Mike Hardman blasted home his team-leading 17th from the slot off a juicy rebound midway through the second.

Grimwood said the Warriors were opportunistic and capitalized on the chances they got.

"You've got to take them how you can get them," he said.

"Tonight, they weren't necessarily pretty ones, but we had guys that went to the net and capitalized on some good bounces."

Goaltender Brock Baier took care of the rest, turning away 41 shots in the win. The only puck that beat him was from a rebound off the stick of Drew Elser with 76 seconds left.

Baier didn't have to make as many big saves as he did against the Vees earlier in the season, but he came up big when he had to, and got some help from the iron around him as the Vees hit four or five posts an d crossbars during the contest.

"Anytime you play Penticton it's a big game...they seem to bring out a lot of emotion.

"It's been three really tight games. Tonight they could have had numerous goals. They had several cross bars, so it's just a matter of showing up every night with them."

The Warriors have yet to lose to the Vees in three meetings this season.

They'll try to make it four straight Wednesday with first place in the Interior again on the line.

The Warriors return home to host the Vernon Vipers Friday night, while the Vees won't play again until Saturday when they entertain the Island Division leading Victoria Grizzlies.