The West Kelowna Warriors battled to a 3-2 overtime victory against the Portage Terriers on Tuesday at the Western Canada Cup junior A hockey championship.
On the ice in Estevan, Sask., the Warriors got the winning goal from forward Jonathan Desbiens at 2:23 of OT. West Kelowna - which features Prince George forwards Liam Blackburn and Jake LeBrun - had squandered an early 2-0 lead in the game.
The Warriors jumped out to the 2-0 advantage thanks to a pair of power-play goals in the first period. The markers - at 4:16 and 12:24 - were scored by forward Brian Basilico, a former member of the Prince George Spruce Kings. But, before the end of the first, defenceman Brett Orr responded for the Terriers. Orr's goal came with just 22 seconds left on the clock.
Portage forward Adam Wowryk got the only goal of the second period and the third was scoreless.
Goaltending and special teams were key factors for the Warriors, who were outshot 34-24 but went 2-for-3 with the man advantage. Keelan Williams was the man between the pipes for West Kelowna, while Josh Bykowski got the call for Portage.
Neither Blackburn nor LeBrun registered a point in the game.
With the win, the B.C. Hockey League champion Warriors improved to 2-1 in the five-team tournament. The Terriers, the Manitoba playoff champ, slipped to 2-0-1.
Other teams at the Western Canada Cup are the host Estevan Bruins, the Melfort Mustangs and the Brooks Bandits.
West Kelowna's next game, its final one of round-robin play, is Thursday against the Mustangs.
Friday is a rest day, and the top four clubs will start the playoff round on Saturday (first vs. second, 3rd vs. fourth). The winner of the 1 vs. 2 game will qualify for the RBC Cup national championship, while the winner of the 3 vs. 4 contest will meet the loser of the 1 vs. 2 game for a second berth in nationals.
The RBC Cup is May 14-22 in Lloydminster.
