Felix Caron scored in overtime lead the Warriors past Merritt 4-3

Photo: West Kelowna Warriors

The West Kelowna Warriors string of success beyond 60 minutes continued Friday night in Merritt.

The Warriors won for the third straight time in extra time Friday, a 5-4 victory over the Centennials in Merritt.

Felix Caron celebrated his 20th birthday in style, playing the role of overtime hero notching the game winner 6:13 into the three-on-three extra period.

Caron, with a team leading 15 goals on the season, also forced overtime with just under a minute-and-a-half left in regulation time.

The Warriors got on the board first when Landon Hilditch bagged his second of the season in the opening period, but three goals in a five-and-a-half minute span in the second period gave the home team a 3-1 lead.

Cal Hughes scored his eighth of the season midway through the second to cut the deficit to one the Johannes Lokkeberg, who has found his scoring touch after a stretch of just one goal in 11 games, tied it 44 seconds into the third at the tail end of a power play.

Kiernan Poulin restored the one-goal lead for the Centennials before Caron pulled the Warriors even, forcing overtime.

Hilditch had two assists to go along with his goal while Michael Salandra and Dylan Brooks also picked up a pair of helpers.

The Warriors, who suffered through a swoon for much of November have now won four in a row, three of those in extra time.

The run has left them a point up on the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and a single point in back of the second place Vernon Vipers in the tight Interior Division.

The Warriors look to make it five straight Saturday when they face off with the Silverbacks at Royal LePage Place.

Hildy's second of the season has us in front!#BCHL | @RPI_Hockey pic.twitter.com/wLP5qa6L7Y

— West Kelowna Warriors (@BCHLWarriors) December 2, 2023