West Kelowna score early and often in holiday blowout of visiting Centennials

Photo: Wayne Moore

The West Kelowna Warriors observed the Family Day holiday with a good old nine-bell celebration.

The Warriors scored a season-high nine goals in 9-1 shellacking of the visiting Merritt Centennials before the largest crowd of the season, 1,564.

Seven different players scored Monday in a game in which the Warriors scored early, and often, building up a 5-1 lead in the first and a 7-1 lead before the second period was 90 seconds old.

Riley Sharun and Luke Devlin each had a pair of goals and an assist to lead the blowout. It was the second straight game Sharun has scored twice.

Michael Salandra had a goal and three assists.

Chris Duclair, Rylee Hlusiak, Jaiden Moriello and Brennan Nelson also scored while Landon Hilditch, Ben MacDonald, Isaiah Norlin and Noah Laframboise all chipped in with a pair of helpers.

The Warriors jumped on the Centennials from the start, taking advantage of a pair of early power plays to grab a quick 2-0 lead.

Devlin with his first of the game two minutes in off a rebound and Sharun with his first on a deflection at 5:21 got the Warriors off and running.

But, it was three goals in a span of three minutes later in the first that blew the game wide open. Hlusiak off a rebound, Moriello on a a pretty feed from MacDonald on a two-on-one and Duclair from the point on a power play built the lead to 5-0.

Merritt got one back seconds after Duclair's goal, but barely tested Cayden Hamming the rest of the way as the Warriors allowed a franchise-low 13 shots against.

"We got a couple of quick ones early...we capitalized on those penalties and maintained that pressure throughout the first period," said head coach Simon Ferguson.

"I didn't think we gave up a lot. Again, we are looking for 60 minutes and I thought that was a real good effort from our guys."

Sharun and Nelson on a deflection early in the second and Devlin and Salandra a minute apart late in the third round out the scoring.

It was the second straight game in which the Warriors dominated from start to finish.

"That's what we are building for. When you get days like today when the puck seems to go in for you a little easier, it's nice to get that reward and makes the guys understand why they are doing it."

Monday's win, the Warriors second in a row, allowed them to leapfrog Prince George back into third in the Interior Conference.

They sit a point up on the Spruce Kings, three better than Salmon Arm and six clear of seventh place Vernon in the tight race for playoff positioning.

The Warriors are off now until Friday when they will again entertain the Trail Smoke Eaters.