Warriors earn third straight win, edge Prince George 4-3

Photo: Wayne Moore

Cayden Hammings withstands a furious barrage late in Friday's 4-3 Warriors win.

Everything "peachy" in Warriors land.

Honouring their neighbours to the south, the Warriors donned their peach-coloured Peachland Warriors jerseys Friday and beat the visiting Prince George Spruce Kings 4-3 in a nail-biter before 1,222 fans at Royal LePage Place.

Goals 75 seconds apart late in the second period, including the eventual game winner with 0.1 seconds left on the clock snapped a 2-2 tie.

They withstood a ferocious push by the Spruce Kings in the third to win by one.

"We were playing a good team there. We got some bounces, then they got some bounces, and we seemed to hold on, which I like," said Warriors head coach Simon Ferguson.

"Again, another building block for us moving forward."

Jake Bernadet and Luke Devlin each had a goal and an assist to pace the Warriors attack. Rylee Hlusiak and Ben McDonald also scored in the victory.

Bernadet, with probably his best game as a Warrior opened the scoring 2:45 into the game.

Brennan Nelson did most of the work, streaking down the left wing before throwing a behind-the-back pass in the slot to Bernadet who whipped a shot past Jordan Fairlie to the short side.

The Spruce Kings tied it on a power play six minutes later, then took the lead seven minutes into the second when a pass deflected off a Warrior skate to a wide open Jake Schneider at the edge of the Warriors net He tapped the puck into the open side to give Prince George their first, and only lead of the game.

Hlusiak tied it wiring home a wrist shot from the slot following pretty three-way passing play involving Devlin and Bobby May.

The Warriors, whose power play was dismal most of the night finally connected with the man advantage.

McDonald, who took a check to the head drawing the penalty also finished it off whipping a low wrist shot past Fairlie with under two minutes to go in the second to restore the one-goal lead.

Then, with time running out Bernadet went between his legs from in tight to flick the puck toward the net. Fairlie made the save but Devlin was there to bang home the rebound just before the horn sounded to end the period.

"I hope he never does that again. (Bernadet) probably could have shot it on his forehand and scored, but we'll take it because it threw the goalie off and if it goes in I can't say much," added Ferguson.

"I thought we put pucks to the net, retrieved pucks and we backchecked hard. That's what kind of led to those other ones."

The Spruce Kings pushed back hard in the third, peppering Cayden Hammings with 15 shots and getting ne back early in the period, but could not find the equalizer despite the pressure and a later power play.

The game was hard hitting and close checking much of the way, reminiscent of a playoff game.

The Warriors, winners of three in a row since the start of the new year, take their winning streak into Merritt Saturday to face the Centennials.

They get an 11-day break following Saturday's game as the league goes dark next weekend for all-star weekend in Penticton.

They'll return to host the same Centennials Wednesday, Jan. 25.