Venue: Royal LePage Place
Game Time: Sunday November 6th @2:30pm
The Prince George Spruce Kings are looking to pickup their first win over the West Kelowna Warriors since November 25th, 2014. Prince George is also looking to salvage some points from this road trip while the Warriors are riding a four game win streak into the afternoon.
After a strong home stand, the Spruce Kings have struggled on the road, and have won just once away from the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena. The loss Friday night against the Trail Smoke Eaters certainly took some wind out of the team’s sails as they had a 4-1 lead halfway through the game turn to a 5-4 regulation loss. The team also went ahead 1-0 on Penticton, but couldn’t score the all important second goal, and allowed the Vees to come back with a win one home ice.
The Warriors lost nine of ten games from late September to late October, but a four game winning streak has them right back in the thick of things in the Interior division. West Kelowna will be short Parm Dhaliwal and former Spruce King Braiden Epp though as both players sit our following suspensions from a game on the 2nd against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Epp is 5th in team scoring while Dhaliwal is tied for 6th.
For Tyler Anderson, Tanner Campbell, and Brett Mennear, this afternoon’s game will mark the first game’s played against their old team. Anderson and Mennear won the Fred Page Cup, Western Canada Cup, and RBC Cup last season. Campbell was sent to PG at the trade deadline, but the Spruce Kings had played both games against West Kelowna already ahead of that game.
BROADCAST LINKS
WATCH on HockeyTV
LISTEN on Mixlr
STANDINGS:
With the loss last night, Prince George sat tight with no teams behind them gathering any points either. The team now doesn’t have the games in hand that they held before, so they will need to start picking up wins, and two points would be huge this afternoon. Langley isn’t in action, so if PG losses the Rivermen will have a game in hand just two points behind. The Surrey Eagles who are six points back have a home date with the Vernon Vipers and if Surrey is able to keep up their stellar home play, they will be able to claw back into the playoff pack. Chilliwack plays the Powell River Kings, but with a nine point cushion over Prince George, they already look set to be in a battle for 1st place with Wenatchee who is coming off a dominant 6-0 win over Coquitlam last night.
After a tough slide in October, the Warriors are now climbing the standings in the Interior division. They’re currently in 5th place, but a win would put them in a tie with Trail for second in the division, with Penticton still a country mile ahead of the rest of the pack.
WHO TO WATCH:
PRINCE GEORGE:
Connor Russell – DEF: He may have been expected to be a big point producer this season, but in 20 games this season Russell already has more goals than he did in the last two season’s combined. He had a late goal last night against the Vees, and has five points in his last five games.
Jarod Hovde – FWD: The Alberta forward has seemed to be one the most dangerous in the past two weeks, with fearless forecheck causing teams all kinds of troubles. He was held pointless in the first seven games of the season, but has replied with 11 points in the last 13 games, including a goal and assist Friday against Trail, and an assist last night in Penticton.
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West Kelowna Warriors
Quin Foreman – FWD: The bread and butter of his team, Foreman is the offensive leader for his squad. His 27 points is 11 higher than Connor Sodergren who is second in scoring. Foreman has already surpassed the 26 points he had in 50 games last season. In his last two games, the forward has six points, and in his two games last season against Prince George he had one assist.
Chase Dubois- FWD: The former Cariboo Cougar star hit a milestone last night as he had his first BCHL hat-trick in his 19th game this season. It was the Williams Lake forward’s 21st game in the league as he AP’d for the Spruce Kings in two games last season. He’s been hot lately with six points in his last seven games.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Spruce Kings @ Surrey Eagle – Thursday November 10th, 6:30pm – South Surrey Arena
Spruce Kings @ Coquitlam Express – Friday November 11th, 7pm – Poirier Sports and Leisure Centre
Spruce Kings vs Nanaimo Clippers – Friday November 18th, 7pm – Rolling Mix Concrete Arena
