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BCHL  

The West Kelowna Warriors won their 11th straight Showcase game in Chilliwack, a 4-1 over Victoria

Warriors power by Grizzlies

The West Kelowna Warriors finally got their power play out of neutral.

The power play, which started the season 0 for 15 finally got untracked Friday afternoon during their first game at the league's annual Showcase in Chilliwack.

The Warriors connected three times with the man advantage in convincing 4-1 victory over the Coastal Division leading Victoria Grizzlies.

Rookie Alexi Van Houtte-Cachero continued his hot play away from Royal LePage Place, scoring twice with the man advantage, including hat proved to be the game winner.

Tyler Cristall also scored on the power play while defenceman Pat Lawn was credited with his first BCHL goal, a shorthanded empty net marker with just over five minutes remaining in the game.

Van Houtte-Cachero, who now has five goals in his last four games, all away from RLP, opened the scoring on the Warriors second power play of the afternoon.

After 16-year-old phenom Matthew Wood tied it with his ninth of the young season late in the first, it was Van Houtte-Cachero who again restored the one-goal lead.

He tipped home Tyson Jugnauth's point shot for his team leading fifth.

Jugnauth and Felix Trudeau both assisted on the goal, just as they did on Van Houtte-Cachero's first.

Cristall took a backhand feed from Nicholas Ardenaz and beat Kyle Kelsey for his second of the campaign to up the lead to 3-1 11 minutes into the third.

Then, while on a power play with six minutes still left, the Grizzlies pulled Kelsey for an extra attacker. Lawn lost a battle for the puck in the corner but, seconds later, a pass back to the point alluded everyone, and the puck slid into the Victoria net.

Lawn, the last Warrior to touch it, was credited with the goal.

The Warriors controlled much of the territorial play over the first 40 minutes, outshooting the Grizzlies 25-6.

However, with the game still close, Johnny Derrick was called upon to make two key stops on two breakaways to keep the Grizzlies off the scoresheet.

He also got some help from the iron on at least two occasions.

West Kelowna finished the game 3-6 on the power play while holding the Grizzlies off the board on their four chances.

The Warriors played Friday without suspended forward John Evans and Marcus Joughin as well as injured defenceman Charles-Alexis Legault and Dylan Brooks and forward Cameron Hicklin.

Alex Ochitwa and Kalius Green were both added to the lineup for Friday's game.

The Warriors, 4-1 on the young season, will close out their Chilliwack trip Saturday afternoon when they face the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.

They may need to find another forward for Saturday's game after Nick Roukounakis went down with an upper body injury.



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