By Ethan Ready

BCHL Preseason

Spruce Kings fall 4-3 against West Kelowna in overtime

Sep 29, 2021 | 12:26 PM

WEST KELOWNA – Despite a brilliant 46 save performance from Jordan Fairlie, the Prince George Spruce Kings fell short Tuesday night in a 4-3 overtime defeat against the West Kelowna Warriors.

The Warriors got the scoring underway at 7:59 of the opening frame. Chase Dafoe got the puck in front of the goal and slid it by Jordan Fairlie to give the Warriors an early lead. Dafoe’s first of the preseason was assisted by John Evans and Tyler Cristall.

It was Alexi Van Houtte-Cachero who held the puck behind the Prince George goal and spotted Nick Roukounakis at the right side of the goal and shovelled it by Fairlie to double the Warriors lead. The Roukounakis tally was assisted by both Van Houtte-Cachero and Marcus Joughin at 14:41.

At 16:14, Colton Cameron jumped up into the rush in the offensive zone and made a cross ice feed to Austin Fraser who put it by Johnny Derrick to get the Spruce Kings on the board. Cameron and Jimmy Doyle were credited with the two helpers on Fraser’s first of the preseason.

At 5:43 of the second period, it was a fantastic individual effort from Kilian McGregor-Bennett who drove it to the goal and fired it past Derrick to tie the game at two. The McGregor-Bennett power-play marker was assisted by Nick Rhéaume.

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2:53 into the third period, it was once again Roukounakis to find the back of the net. The Warrior forward found the puck in front of the goal and put it by Fairlie to regain the Warrior lead. Roukounakis’ second of the night was assisted by Marcus Joughin and Tyson Jugnauth.

In the dying seconds of a Spruce King power-play, the puck ricocheted off the end boards and over top of the goal and was whacked out of mid-air by Austin Fraser to tie the game. The goal was reviewed afterwards and agreed the stick was below the crossbar. Fraser’s second of the night came at 17:50 of the third frame and forced the game to go into overtime.

3:10 into the extra frame, Marcus Joughin and Tyler Cristall had a ton of pressure in the Spruce King zone, and it was Cristall who made a fantastic move and finish by Jordan Fairlie to secure the Warriors overtime victory.

The Spruce Kings will be back in action Wednesday night against the Penticton Vees.