A Spokane sweep for two of the three Cariboo teams this weekend.
The Quesnel River Rush and the Williams Lake Mustangs face the Spokane Braves on Friday and Saturday night. Both teams took the W against the visitors from down south.
The 100 Mile House Wranglers had a true test for themselves against the Princeton Posse. Taking a win, but then an odd overtime loss to the Chase Heat, splitting their weekend and keeping them within striking distance for first in the division.
Here are this weekend’s breakdowns.
Quesnel: Another One
The Rush have extended their franchise win streak to four games with a 5-2 win over the Spokane Braves on Friday night.
The Rush took an early lead, scoring two goals before the five-minute mark of the first period. Cash Anderson scored the opening goal. Taking a pass from Dane Dietz and Toren Fron deep below in the offensive zone. Ian George scored his fifth on the season one minute later off another assist from Fron.
Spokane scored late in the first to keep the score within one going into the second period. Quesnel scored the only goal in the rather slow-paced second. Bennet Kuhnlein got the sole goal off an assist from Cash Anderson, his twelfth of the season, and Toren Fron. Fron’s third of the night.
Three Power Play goals light up the third period. Gage Parrell got the first, of the period, followed by Cash Anderson’s second of the night. Both were set up from passes from Isaiah Bagri. Tate O’Brien and Bennet Kuhnlein got the first assists.
Spokane’s Lance Insko got the third and final power play goal of the third, and final goal of the night.
Quesnel’s goalie Kyan Gray had a solid performance, saving 27/29 shots in the contest.
Williams Lake: True Grit
It was the Mustangs’ turn to host The Braves on Saturday night. Trading score for score, and scoring runs with Spokane throughout the night, before ending the game in less than a minute into Overtime for a final score of 5-4.
Both teams scored late in the first period. Spokane’s Owen Ames opened the scoring, then Matthew Keylor answered back in the. last two seconds of the period for the Mustangs, with Asher Lucas getting his tenth assist on the season, and J.P Desabrias getting his fourteenth.
The Mustangs kept on the pressure in the second, scoring the only two goals from Garrett Feenley, and Kaelen Swanson. Swanson’s eigth of the season. Madden Aubie got his first assist on the Feenley goal, and Logan Hauk got assists on both goal.
Another third period with three power play goals. The first two coming from The Braves early in the perioud. The Mustangs’ Declan Pocock pushed to the Mustangs into the lead off another Asher Lucas assist. With Spokane tying the game late, sending it into Overtime.
Pocock shined again off a feed from Lucas to get the game winning goal only 42 seconds into OT.
Alex Jessey picked up his first win as the Williams Lake Mustang goaltender. Saving 53/57 shots, and boosting his save per centage up to 90 per cent on the season, and getting a second assist credit on Pocock’s OT game winner.
100 Mile: A solid win then an odd loss
The Wranglers had a true test of being a top ten team in the KIJHL, taking on the first place Princeton Posse, coming up the victors, ending the game 4-3 in regulation.
The Wrangler’s Jaden Rusznak scored the opening goal, his ninth in the season. Then the Posse answered back, the teams traded blow for blow, neither able to get a scoring run to stay ahead. The Wrangler’s Luke McFarlane got the game winner early in the third period.
On Saturday, 100 Mile took an early lead against the Chast Heat. Going up 2-0 in the second, before the Heat were able to answer back. The Heat tied the game with a power play goal from Graham Willey, then Hudson Hofstrand, gave the Wranglers the lead at the end of the second.
Penalties plagued the Wranglers at crucial times throughout the contest. The Wranglers’ Brodie Gohamnn took a Spearing penalty early in the third period. Opening the door for the Heat’s Aryx Siefer to tie the game.
The Heat were able to keep pressure in the third, outshooting 100 Mile then shots to six. Scoring back-to-back goals, Spencer Brazel, getting the game winner in regulation.
Coming Up:
A duel in the Cariboo this coming weekend, as Quesnel (7-9) looks to add onto their win streak against and 100 Mile (10-8-0-1) in a double-header.
100 Mile hosts Quesnel on Friday, then the Rush will host the Wranglers on the Saturday. Both games start at 7 p.m.
Williams Lake (5-8-0-2) will be on the road next weekend. First to Kelowna to face the Chiefs (6-7-0-2) on Friday night. Then to Sicamous (7-5-4) on Saturday. Puck drop will also be at 7 o’clock for both of those games.
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