A rematch of last year’s BCHL final produced a negative result for the Chilliwack Chiefs, who fell 5-2 to West Kelowna Wednesday night at Prospera Centre.
Quin Foreman had three goals for the Warriors in the BCHL Showcase opener, leading his team to their third win in four outings this season.
The Chiefs fell to 0-2 on home ice and 2-2 overall.
The Warriors opened the scoring 43 seconds into the second period, with Foreman netting his first.
Defenceman Stephen Kleysen sent a slapper toward the net from the left-wing wall. The shot was heading wide right until Foreman got his stick on it, putting the puck behind Chilliwack netminder Mark Sinclair on the re-direct.
Michael Ryan doubled Kelowna’s lead at the eight minute mark, beating Sinclair with a bullet from the high slot.
The Warriors were handed a five minute power play when rookie defenceman Colin Bernard hammered Kelowna captain Jared Marino into the boards from behind. Bernard was booted from the game and the Warriors cashed in with a Foreman power play goal. No. 7 ripped a shot over Sinclair’s glove from the right faceoff dot, giving the visitors a three-goal lead.
Chilliwack captain Jordan Kawaguchi got his team on the board with one minute to go in period two.
Gooch camped in the crease and cleaned up the rebound from an Powell Connor shot, slipping his third of the year behind Kelowna keeper Xavier Burghardt.
The Chiefs got within one 7:21 into the final frame.
Speedy rookie Tommy Lee drove hard to the net, leaving a rebound for Kale Kane to pop past Burghardt.
Chilliwack had two glorious chances to tie.
A quick whistle took the would-be tying goal away when referee Mark Pearce lost sight of the puck in a goal-mouth scramble. His whistle blew a split second before Austin Chorney rolled the puck across the goal-line.
Minutes later, David Jankowski was parked in the blue paint with a wide-open net in front of him, but the rookie was unable to get his stick on the puck as it rolled across the crease.
Kelowna’s Connor Sodergren applied the dagger with five minutes to play, sneaking behind the Chiefs D and scoring on a breakaway.
A Foreman shorthanded empty netter in the final minute iced it.
The three stars were Foreman (first), Michael Ryan (second) and Kawaguchi (third).
The Fortis BC Energy Player of the Game was Chilliwack’s Jake Smith.
