On Saturday night the Trail Smoke Eaters did something they haven’t done in several years, they won their home opener and in a convincing manner. After dropping their first game of the season against West Kelowna on Friday night, 3-1, they returned home and defeated the same Warrior team 8-5 at the Cominco Arena. The last home opener win for the Smoke Eaters was at the start of the 2010-11 season when they scored an 8-2 win over the Merritt Centennials. They scored 8 goals in the Saturday night home opener. It may be an omen of good things to come. The 2010-11 Smoke Eater team was the last Trail team to make the playoffs.
On Saturday West Kelowna led 2-1 after one period with the Smokies taking a 5-3 lead into the third. The Smokies took a commanding 8-3 lead at 10:17 of the third before West Kelowna scored two late goals to make the final 8-5.
West Kelowna opened the scoring Saturday night at 3:07 of the first on a goal by Connor Sodergren. Kale Howarth tied the game at 11:48 with a power play marker, assisted on by Tyson Slater. West Kelowna took a 2-1 lead at 13:25 of the first on a goal by Marshall Wilton.
In the second period the Smokies outscored the Warriors 4-1 to take a 5-3 lead into the third period. Luke Santerno opened the scoring in the second at 1:20, assisted on by California recruit Andre Ghantous. Santerno a Smithers, BC native was acquired in a trade with Cowichan Valley. Jared Marino answered for the Warriors at 1:29 giving them a 3-2 lead. The Smokies then scored 3 unanswered goals on markers by Joshua Laframboise at 3:27, Jack Sitzman at 6:23 and Tyson Slater at 15:20. Ross Armour assisted on the Lamframboise goal, Braeden Tuck & Dominic Dumas assisted on the Sitzman goal and Andre Ghantous and Jack Stizman assisted on the Slater goal.
In the third Trail Ross Armour scored an unassisted goal at 4:47, Kale Howarth scored his second goal of the game at 7:33 assisted on by the Smokies new Captain, Connor Brown Maloski. Tyson Slater rounded out the Smokies scoring his second goal of the game at 10:17, with assists going to Ross Armour and Joshua Lamframboise. West Kelowna added two goals of their own before the end of the period to make the final score 8-5.
The Smokies went 2/5 on the power play while the Warriors came up empty 0/5. Zack Dyment playing his second game in two nights made 33 saves on 38 shots. Kale Howarth of the Smokies, with two goals on the night, was named first star, Josh Lamframboise of the Smokies with a goal and an assist was named second star and Andre Ghantous also of the Smokies was named third star. Andre had 2 assists on the night. Fortis Energy Player of the Game was Luke Santerno of the Smokies.
On Friday night, in West Kelowna, the teams battled to a 1-1 tie until mid way through the third period. West Kelowns opened the scoring at 12:57 of the first on a goal by Jake Harrison. Trail tied it up at 16:46 of the period when Tyson Slater scored his third goal of the weekend, with the lone assist going to Andre Ghantous.
The score remained tied at 1 until 10:40 of the third period when Michael Ryan of the Warriors scored to make it 2-1. Reed Gunville of West Kelowna rounded out the scoring for the game when he gave the Warriors a 3-1 lead and the win.
Zack Dyment was in net for the Smokies and made 37 saves on 40 shots. On the night the Smokies were outshot 40 – 26.
Trail’s next home game is on Saturday September 17 at the Cominco Arena. Game time is 7:00 PM with the doors opening at 6:15.
