West sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Warriors (5-8-2-1) posted its biggest win of the season when it won the 18th Battle of Highway 97, blanking Penticton Vees (11-5-0) 3-0 in BCHL junior hockey action at Royal LePage Place.
Early in the middle frame Jackson Kyrkostas -- who was the Warriors’ points leader going into Tuesday nightsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ game, despite not scoring thus far -- picked the puck up behind his own net, and went for an end-to-end rush, firing a shot from the right circle over the blocker of Will Ingemann to open the scoring.
Five minutes later, on a Vees powerplay, Jack Pridham showed great quickness on the forecheck, as he was able to find his way around the back of the net to the far corner, before he sent a cross-ice pass to Cal Hughes, who pumped a one timer from a sharp angle on the near side to beat Ingemann to lift the Warriors to a two goal lead. Dylan Krayer would also add an empty net goal in the third.
Between the pipes, Dawson Labre made 29 saves for his first career BCHL shutout. Ingemann made 28 stops for the Vees.
In other team news from the Warriors, the club signed 2005-born defenceman Philip Mønnich Hagen.
Mønnich Hagen, a product of Stavanger, Norway, is already committed to play Division I Hockey at Western Michigan University. He scored six goals and added 24 assists for 30 points in 30 games last season for the Stavanger Oilers of the Norway U20 league, and hopes to help bolster the Warriors blue line. He was scheduled to be in the line-up on Friday.
The Warriors travel to Alberta this weekend. They were in Blackfalds Friday and tonight they move to Okotoks. Penticton, meanwhile, travels to Salmon Arm tonight. On Monday, the Vees host a special Remembrance Day matinee against Trail beginning at 2 p.m. at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Vernon Vipers, meanwhile, are home tonight to Sherwood Park beginning at 6:05 p.m.
