Check back here for highlights and interviews from the 2018 Bauer BCHL Showcase.
Saturday, Sept. 22
Chilliwack Chiefs – 2 @ Wenatchee Wild – 0
In the Showcase finale, the home team picked up their second win of the weekend, their fifth in a row overall, as Chilliwack beat Wenatchee 2-0. Harrison Blaisdell continued his strong play by picking up his third goal of the Showcase less than a minute into the game. Carter Wilkie added to the Chiefs lead with his first BCHL goal in the second period and Mathieu Caron shut the door the rest of the way to pick up the win and his first shutout of the season.
Merritt Centennials – 2 @ Langley Rivermen – 4
Ethan Leyh scored the game-winning goal early in the third period, his second of the game. and Braedon Fleming made 28 saves as Langley picked up their second Showcase win with a 4-2 victory of Merritt. The Rivermen jumped out to a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from Leyh and Trevor Ayre, but the Centennials answered back in the second with goals from Nick Granowicz and Christian Sabin to tie the game after two. Leyh put Langley ahead and Tanner Versluis added an empty netter to seal the win.
Surrey Eagles – 2 @ Vernon Vipers – 1 (OT)
Chase Stevenson scored twice, including the game-tying goal with under two minutes to go in the third and the overtime winner just over two minutes into the extra frame as Surrey got their first win of the season with a 2-1 win over Vernon. The Vipers led for most of the game after Austin Chorney gave them the lead in the first period, until Stevenson’s heroics late in the game. Eagles goalie Daniel Davidson stopped 35 shots to pick up his first win of the year.
Coquitlam Express – 2 @ Cowichan Valley Capitals – 1
Dallas Farrell scored with five seconds left in the third period to give Coquitlam their second straight win at the Showcase as they beat Cowichan Valley 2-1 and improve their record to 3-3-0. Chase Danol opened the scoring for the Express just over five minutes into the game, but Lucas Vanroboys tied it up before the end of the frame. After that, the teams remained deadlocked until Farrell broke the tie at the end of regulation. Capitals goalie Jack Grant came on in relief in the first period and went on to stop 30 of 31 shots in the loss.
Alberni Valley Bulldogs – 1 @ Salmon Arm Silverbacks – 4
Salmon Arm continued their strong play at the Showcase with their second straight win as they beat Alberni Valley 4-1. Andy Stevens had a goal and two assists for the Silverbacks and Devin Chapman 27 saves to get the win. Akito Hirose, Jonathan Krahn and Logan Shaw had the other goals for Salmon Arm , while Austin Spiradakis had the lone goal for the Bulldogs.
Friday, Sept. 21
Cowichan Valley Capitals – 3 @ Chilliwack Chiefs – 4 (OT)
Harrison Blaisdell scored two goals and Kevin Wall added the OT winner as Chilliwack rallied from down three to come back and beat Cowichan Valley 4-3 in overtime on Friday night. The Capitals got first-period goals from Preston Brodziak and Vincent Millette to take a 2-0 lead after one. In the second period, Doug Scott scored his first of the year to give Cowichan Valley a 3-0 lead, but Cole Donhauser and Blaisdell replied for the Chiefs before the end of the frame to make it 3-2. Blaisdell tied the game with just over a minute to go in regulation and Wall capped the Chilliwack comeback with the overtime winner. Capitals goalie Jack Grant made 37 saves in the loss.
Salmon Arm Silverbacks – 6 @ Victoria Grizzlies – 3
Olsen Werenka had a goal and three assists and Matthew Verboon and Just Wilson each had two goals and one assist as Salmon Arm beat Victoria 6-3. The teams traded goals early and often and the Silverbacks led 3-2 after one. Verboon and Wilson added to Salmon Arm’s total in the second and Trevor Adams sealed the game with an empty netter in the last two minutes. Ethan Langenegger made 34 saves to pick up the win. Marty Westhaver, Edward Yan and Charlie Campbell had the Grizzlies goals in the loss.
Prince George Spruce Kings – 3 @ Penticton Vees -2
Ben Brar scored a pair of goals and Nicholas Poisson added another as Prince George came back to beat Penticton 3-2. Brar opened the scoring in this one less than five minutes in, Ryan Sandelin replied for the Vees before the end of the period to tie the game 1-1. David Silye gave Penticton the lead in the third, but Brar and Poisson tallied 16 seconds apart to give the Spruce Kings the win. Prince George’s Logan Neaton made 28 saves to get the win. With his two-goal performance, Brar was named first star of the game.
Click here to hear post-game audio from Prince George forward Ben Brar.
Wenatchee Wild – 5 @ Alberni Valley Bulldogs – 2
After leading by one heading into the third period, Wenatchee got goals from Matt Gosiewski, Christophe Fillion and Cristophe Tellier to pull away and win 5-1 over Alberni Valley. Gosiewski also scored a goal in the first period and was named the game’s first star. Murphy Stratton scored the other goal for the Wild and team captain Lucas Sowder finished with three assists. Marcus Walter scored his first of the season for the lone Bulldogs goal.
Nanaimo Clippers – 2 @ West Kelowna Warriors – 4
Mike Hardman scored his third goal in two Showcase games and Connor Hopkins stopped 20 shots to get back-to-back wins as West Kelowna beat Nanaimo 4-2. Wyatt Head opened the scoring for the Warriors with a first-period goal, then Max Bulawka and Hardman added to West Kelowna’s total in the second. Bennet Norlin scored his first BCHL goal in the third period and the Warriors held on for the 4-2 win. Kyler Kovich and Tyler Williams had the goals for the Clippers in the loss.
Click here to hear post-game audio from West Kelowna goalie Connor Hopkins.
Trail Smoke Eaters – 1 @ Powell River Kings – 2
Mitch Adamyk made 22 saves and Ryan Brushett and Liam Lytton each scored second-period goals as Powell River beat Trail 2-1. The Smoke Eaters opened the scoring with under three minutes to go in the opening frame, but the Kings replied with their two in the second and held on for the win. Kings defenceman Nathan Kelly chipped in with two assists and was named the games first star.
Thursday, Sept. 20
Victoria Grizzlies – 1 @ Merritt Centennials – 2
Matthew Kopperud and Nick Granowicz scored in the first period and Austin Roden stopped 29 of 30 shots as Merritt beat Victoria 2-1 on Thursday night. The Grizzlies pulled to within one on a Riley Hughes goal with less than a minute left, but Roden shut the door the rest of the way as the Centennials won their fourth game in a row to improve their record to 4-2-0. Merritt forward Bradley Cocca assisted on his team’s opening goal to give him nine points and the lead in the BCHL scoring.
Nanaimo Clippers – 4 @ Vernon Vipers – 3 (OT)
Ethan Scardina scored his second goal of the season 39 seconds into overtime as the Nanaimo rallied from a third-period deficit to beat Vernon 4-3 in overtime. The game was tied 2-2 after one as the teams exchanged goals with MacKenzie Merriman and Alden Hansen-Bukata scoring for the Clippers and Logan Cash and Josh Latta tallying for the Vipers. In the second, Cash put Vernon ahead with his second of the game, but Jonathan Stein equaled for Nanaimo midway through the third before Scardina’s heroics. After his two-goal performance, Cash was named first star of the game in a losing effort.
Coquitlam Express – 6 @ Powell River Kings – 3
Alex DiPaolo, Connor Gregga and Cole Edgerton each scored their first BCHL goals and Kolby Matthews stopped 24 of the 27 shots he faced as Coquitlam beat Powell River 6-3. After Cooper Connell scored the lone first-period goal to give the Express a 1-0 lead, the game broke out offensively in the second with Coquitlam scoring four and Powell River scoring two to bring the score to 5-2 heading to the third. The teams exchanged goals in the final frame as the Express skated to the 6-3 win. Coquitlam’s Christian Sanda scored his third of the season and added an assist and was named the game’s first star.
Click here to hear post-game audio from Express head coach Jason Fortier.
West Kelowna Warriors – 4 @ Prince George Spruce Kings – 0
Warriors goaltender Connor Hopkins stopped all 21 shots he faced to earn his first BCHL shutout and first star of the game and Mike Hardman potted a pair of goals as West Kelowna beat Prince George 4-0. After Hardman opened the scoring in the first period, the Warriors got three in the second from Mason Richey, Hardman and Max Bulawka to take a 4-0 lead. The Spruce Kings loss was their first of the season after starting out 4-0-0.
Click here to hear post-game audio from Warriors head coach Geoff Grimwood.
Langley Rivermen – 4 @ Trail Smoke Eaters – 1
Langley got points from nine different players, including four different goal scorers, en route to a 4-1 win over Trail. Jake Livingstone opened the scoring for the Rivermen as they took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Smokies captain Braedon Tuck tied the game just over a minute into the second, but Kalen Szeto replied for Langley 37 seconds later and Ryan Helliwell added another before the end of the period to give the Rivermen a 3-1 lead after two. Chase Pletzke rounded out the scoring with a third-period goal for Langley and goaltender Braedon Fleming made 23 saves to get the win.
Click here to hear post-game audio from Rivermen head coach Bobby Henderson.
Penticton Vees – 3 @ Surrey Eagles – 1
Lukas Sillinger had three points and David Silye added a pair of third-period goals as the Vees skated to a 4-1 win the opening game of the Bauer BCHL Showcase. Sillinger scored 22 seconds into the game and Kenny Johnson added another to give the Vees a 2-0 lead after one. Surrey got to within one on an Eric Linell goal early in the third period, but Penticton pulled away to get the victory. Vees goalie Jack LaFontaine stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced to pick up his second win of the season.
