Isaiah Bagri’s shootout game-winner on Saturday night capped a split Cariboo Rivalry weekend.
The Quesnel River Rush and the 100 Mile House Wranglers clashed in a fierce home-and-home series that truly went the distance each night. Friday, November 15, and Saturday, November 16, games needed to be decided in extra time.
The Wranglers took Game 1 of the series Friday night at home in a 4 – 3 OT win.
Luke McFarlane’s 10th goal of the season started a reverse sweep of three unanswered goals on the Rush in the third period, sending the game into overtime. Tyler Smoluk scored the game-winner and his first of the season one minute and fifty-four seconds into Sudden Death.
Saturday’s grudge match was what the Tyson vs. Paul match wishes it could have been. A punchy fight between the two Cariboo Rivals fighting for first in the Cariboo Cup.
The River Rush took another early lead, nearly repeating Friday’s game, but ending up with the W in a thrilling shootout 5 – 4 win.
Cash Anderson scored two back-to-back goals in the first period, putting Quesnel in the driver’s seat again. Both Quesnel’s and 100 Mile’s penalty kills were put to work early in the game, and kept any damage to a minimum throughout the contest.
The second period started off as intense as the first with lots of hitting and a couple of more penalties. Isaiah Bagri scored the Rush’s third unanswered goal, and 13th on the season, off an assist from Adam Valach.
An Evan Murray cross-checking penalty gave the Wrangler’s their first power play. Ethan Hofstrand scored his first goal on the man-advantage. Ethan Davey picking up his 17th assist, with Luke McFarlane on the second assist.
A Bagri Misconduct penalty put Quesnel down a top scorer, and on the defensive. Tyler Smoluk picked up another clutch goal to tie the game 2 -2. Dane Dietz gave the River Rush the go-ahead, taking a lead from Ian George off Jimmy Proulx, scoring the final goal of the period.
The Wranglers took control of the third, tying the game with two unanswered goals from Diego Cazac and Matthew Balderston to send it into Overtime.
Overtime passed with no scoring or penalties, sending the game into a shootout.
Diego Cazac for the Wranglers and Max Kinnee for the River Rush went up first and scored for their respective teams. Cash Anderson and the Wrangler’s Nelson Webber went second, and were both stopped by the goalies, Tyson Endall and Kyan Gray, for 100 Mile and Quesnel.
A dash to the right then dip down on the left side by Bagril drew Endall out and extended, opening for a top shelf game-winning goal to cheers in the West Fraser Centre. Ending a wild rodeo of a series.
Williams Lake On the Road:
The Mustangs split their road trip with a win 5 – 2 win over the Kelowna Chiefs on Friday night. Then took a 3 – 2 loss in overtime on Saturday against the Sicamous Eagles.
The Chiefs took the first goal on Friday, but the Mustangs answered back with a goal in the second. Then they scored another four in a row before the Chiefs answered back in a final goal on a power play.
November 16’s game on Saturday was a little tougher on the young Mustangs. Penalties put Williams Lake on the defensive, but the penatly kill managed to kill of five out of six of the Eagles’ power plays.
Dawson Ernst and Carter Boomer gave the Mustangs the lead. Ersnt in the first, and Boomer in the second periods. Both times the Eagles were able to tie the game, until Hayden Evans scored the go ahead and gamer winner for Sicamous in the third period.
Coming Up Next:
Williams Lake (6-8-1-2) are back home this weekend. Friday, November 22, the young team will take on the Revelstoke Grizzlies (11-3-0-2).
Then Saturday, November 23, the Mustangs host another Cariboo Rivalry match up taking on the 100 Mile House Wranglers (11-8-0-2).
Quesnel River Rush (8-9-1) will host Revelstoke next Saturday as part of the latter’s Cariboo road trip.
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