The West Kelowna Warriors were unable to build on Friday's monumental effort against the Number 1 team in the BCHL.
Facing the Merritt Centennials, sporting a five-game losing streak and the worse record in the league, the Warriors were flat and lacklustre, as the visitors scored a season-high five goals in a 5-2 victory.
The win came three days after the Centennials fired their head coach, Barry Wolfe.
"We completely underestimated our opponent tonight," said Warriors head coach Brandon West.
"Full credit to them, they were good tonight. It's our job now as coaches to get our group reorganized, and it's up to them to show how bad they want to win in the league and not just on nights when they're feeling good."
The Centennials, for all intents and purposes, put the game away with a three-goal explosion in the first period.
The goals were nearly identical, as the Centennials converted on centering passes to wide-open players off odd-man rushes down the right wing.
The third goal came as defenceman Declan Douthart lost the puck after he was hauled down at his own blueline.
The Centennials got the opening goal of the game before Trevor Adams equalized with a quick wrist shot from the right circle that seemed to surprise starter Tanner Marshall.
The Warriors controlled the next several minutes, doing everything but grab the lead.
Against the run of the play, Brett made it 2-1, then a minute later, Rylan Van Unen made it 3-1.
"We felt we outplayed them in the first period, but we didn't outwork them," said West.
"That was the difference in the game. They scored on I think four odd-man rushes tonight, that we completely broke down on."
Down 4-1 in the third, David Ardanaz scored his first BCHL goal on a wrist shot from the left point that Marshall never saw, but they were unable to get much sustained pressure on the Centennials over the final 13 minutes.
"The effort wasn't there. I think we expected it to be a little easier tonight and, unfortunately, it was a night where it was some guys worst games instead of their best games.
"We have to learn we have to be good every night. We're scrapping for points, they're scrapping for points. It's disappointing because our group has worked real hard over the last couple of weeks."
Saturday's loss snapped a streak where the Warriors were able to pick up points in five straight, including three wins plus an overtime and shootout loss.
The Warriors now hit the road for a mid-week game in Wenatchee before returning home to host Trail Friday.
That will be their final home game in about a month, as the Warriors play seven-straight away from Royal LePage Place.