Warriors muzzle Bulldogs

Photo: Wayne Moore

Parm Dhaliwal sets, shoots and scores his first of two Sunday.

The West Kelowna Warriors bounced back from a poor final 35 minutes Friday for a complete 60 minute effort Sunday afternoon.

The result? A 6-2 shellacking of the visiting Alberni Valley Bulldogs at Royal LePage Place.

"We had a real good first first period after what happened Friday. Real good of our club to play, for the most part, a complete game," said associate head coach Shae Naka.

"We talked Friday night about losing momentum and really sinking from there. It was good to see our club have more of a 60-minute effort."

Naka said when they did give up the one goal, they were able to maintain momentum the rest of the way.

The line of Michael Lombardi, RJ Murphy and Willie Reim made sure the Warriors got off to the start they wanted, accounting for all three first period goals.

Just two minutes in, Murphy, streaking down the right wing, had his centering pass deflect off Lombardi's skate past Alberni netminder John Hawthorne.

Later in the period, Reim tipped home a centering pass from defenceman Garrett Ewart from the left wing. Lombardi closed out the scoring in dying seconds of the first, when his wrist shot from the low slot whizzed high over Hawthorne's blocker.

Parm Dhaliwal and Chase Dubois took over the game in the second.

Dhaliwal cut through the slot on a Warriors power play, waited for Hawthorne to make a move, then tucked the puck into the open side. He set up Wyatt Head's third on a pretty give-and-go moments later then, after the Bulldogs got one back, Dhaliwal went roof from the edge of the crease on another power play.

Alberni got the only goal of the third, a deflection on a power play with three minutes left and the outcome no longer in doubt.

Both teams threw their weight around throughout the game, and tempers did at times get close to the breaking point as the game wore on, but the officials kept a lid on festivities, ensuring nothing got out of hand.

Nik Amundrud turned away 33 shots to earn the victory.

The Warriors are now off until Friday when they travel north to meet the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, then host Merritt on Saturday.