Smokies start the season as Champions
By Trail Champion
The Trail Smoke Eaters opened the 2013-14 BCHL season in style, picking up three of four weekend points at the Bauer BCHL Showcase. After a 4-3 overtime loss Friday against the Langley Rivermen, the Smokies earned their first victory of the season in emphatic style Sunday, outgunning the Cowichan Valley Capitals 6-2 at Prospera Centre.
Langley captain Mitch McLain scored Friday’s winner 22 seconds into overtime in a see-saw affair that saw seven lead changes. Trail opened the scoring 6:23 into the first period when Jesse Knowler spun and fired a low shot through Rivermen starter James Barr.
The Lower Mainland opponents replied with two unanswered goals in period two, first on a short-handed breakaway from Matt Ustaski, then took the lead on the first of two from forward Brendon Kearney.
Trail captain Adam Wheeldon notched his first goal of the season 3:03 into the third on a Scott Davidson rebound, before Kearney’s second goal put Langley up 3-2 with 11:09 remaining.The Smokies would benefit from a late third-period power-play as first-year BCHLer Jake Kauppila opened his
2013-14 account to tie the game 3-3 with 2:09 left in regulation. The Michigan Tech commit finished Friday with two points in his first BCHL game.
McLain’s seeing-eye wrister on a Langley power-play early in OT sealed Trail’s fate Friday, as the Smokies were forced to settle with a point. Adam Todd made 25 saves in his season debut.
Trail benefitted from a rare Bauer Showcase off-day and found their groove Sunday, scoring six unanswered goals en route to a 6-2 win over the Capitals.
After Cowichan Valley opened the scoring just 19 seconds into the first period, new Trail forward Brendan Lamont answered with a pair of first-period tallies. Lamont, who was acquired from Merritt in the off-season, beat Capitals starter Francis Marotte with a pair of similar wrist shots to help Trail recoup from the early shock.
Fellow newcomer Travis Stephens, acquired from Coquitlam earlier in the week, put Trail up 3-1 10 seconds into period two, before second-year Smokie Bryce Knapp scored his first two goals as a Smoke Eater, the first on a nifty re-direct of a Braden Pears point shot from the slot. Knapp was limited to just 12 games as a rookie due to injuries, but continued his hot start to 2013-14 with three points on the weekend.
Valik Chichkin and Colton Kehler traded third-period goals as the Smokies avenged an 8-1 loss to the Caps at last year’s Showcase in style. Trail goaltender Dustin Nikkel, the KIJHL’s top netminder last season, made 36 saves, 17 in the first period alone, to collect his first win as a Smoke Eater.
The Smokies return to Cominco Arena for their 2013-14 home opener Friday, September 13th when they host the Penticton Vees in the first of two weekend meetings. For ticket information, call (250) 368-5000.
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