Fans got their money’s worth on Saturday night in Cranbrook as the Smoke Eaters and Bucks went back and forth all night in a game that needed extra time to be decided.
With both teams coming in with a impressive record over their last ten games it was bound to be close game. The Smoke Eaters got some help as well getting both Jordan Hendry and Ethan Warrener back from injury to bolster their defence. That being said the Smoke Eaters would allow the first goal as Luke Pfoh would score 2:42 in on the powerplay, as the point shot from Bucks captain Rhys Bentham created a rebound that Pfoh found and beat Fradette to make it 1-0 Cranbrook. The Bucks held that lead into the second.
The Smoke Eaters were quick to answer in the middle frame as Zach Michaelis would score his 10th of the year just 40 seconds into the period with a great end to end rush.
The Smoke Eaters then took the lead through one of Michaelis’s line mates in Corey Cunningham as him and Brady Hunter continue to be the Smoke Eaters most consistent and deadly trio. Cunningham would score his fourth of the year from almost the same spot as Michaelis, with a shot from the left circle that had enough power behind it to get past Nathan Airey, despite the Bucks netminder getting a solid piece of the shot.
The Bucks would hit back in the third with two goals two minutes apart. The first came from Nelson native Noah Quinn, who had a strong net drive as he put the puck over the shoulder short side on Fradette. The go ahead goal for the Bucks two minutes later was courtesy of Kellan Hjartarson who’s shot from the top of the slot somehow knuckle balled its way through the crowd and past Fradette for a 3-2 Cranbrook lead. The Smoke Eaters hit back with 1:55 left in the third as Michaelis scored his second of the game as he knocked a pass from Hunter out of the air and past Airey to tie the game at 3 and force overtime.
In the extra frame the two sides traded chances but it was the Smoke Eater captain Coalson Wolford with the heroics with 5.5 left in the clock with a wrist shot past Airey on the glove side.
The Smoke Eaters now improve to 9-5-1 on the year with a big test coming on Friday back at home as the West Kelowna Warriors come to town.
