The Trail Smoke Eaters fell to the Penticton Vees on Saturday after getting past the Cranbrook Bucks Friday 4-3.
Following their first win, 3-2, over the Vees on Wednesday, the Smokies split their weekend games against their Penticton bubble rivals to improve their record to 4-5.
In Saturday’s match Luc Wilson scored on the power play, finishing a setup from Finlay Williams to give the Vees a 1-0 lead midway through the opening period.
Liam Malmquist made it 2-0 with just seven seconds remaining in the middle frame, and Wilson notched his tenth of the season at 13:51 of the third for the 3-0 final.
Wilson, the game’s first star, is tied for the BCHL scoring lead with 10 goals and 17 points.
The Smoke Eaters battled hard in the third period, outshooting the Vees 13-10, but Kaeden Lane earned the shutout and second star of the game.
The Vees outshot Trail 31-27 with Smoke Eaters goalie Logan Terness suffering the loss.
Trail native Ethan Martini earned third star for the Vees counting two assists against his former team.
On Friday, the Smoke Eaters jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead just 5:35 into the first, on goals from Quinn Disher, Kalen Szeto, and Brady Hunter.
Cranbrook battled back, with Zeth Kindrachuk cutting the lead to 3-1 at 8:52 in the second period, and 16-year-old rookie Walker Gelbard notching his first of the season at 2:18 of the third.
Smokies defenceman Ryan Helliwell restored the two-goal cushion with just under five minutes to play.
Cranbrook cut the lead to one with 33 seconds remaining and the goalie pulled, but the Smoke Eaters held on for the win.
Smokies goalie Caedon Hamming earned his first win of the abbreviated 20 game season, stopping 29 shots, with Nathan Airey turned aside 26 shots on the Bucks goal.
Gelbard earned first star, Trail’s Noah Wakeford (3A) second star, and Hamming third star.
Trail was back in action on Monday against the Bucks but the score was unavailable at press time.
Read: Smoke Eaters put an end to Penticton Vees unbeaten streak
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