Picture: Wayne Moore
Ayo Ogini got here to coaching camp pencilled in because the West Kelowna Warriors quantity three goaltender.
He continues to make his case for way more taking part in time than that.
His newest effort, a spectacular 21-save efficiency Friday main the West Kelowna Warriors to a 2-1 victory over the Vernon Vipers of their residence opener earlier than 1,368 followers at Royal LePage Place.
Whereas he didn’t face the variety of photographs his counterpart Colin Reay did on the different finish, what he lacked in amount made up for in high quality.
Quite a few giveaways contained in the Warriors blueline led to quite a few Grade A probabilities for the 19-year-old Surrey native to deal with. He seemed calm, cool and picked up even below hearth.
“I labored on all of it summer time with my goalie coaches, staying calm and taking it shot by shot,” he stated after the sport.
“That basically helped me on the market tonight.”
The one puck to beat him, a tough, rising wrist shot from simply contained in the blueline off the stick of Liucas Brennan, is in truth the one shot to beat him in 9 intervals which included a pair of pre-season shutouts.
He desires that one again, saying he was in all probability too deep in his crease.
“I believed he was actual good, performed actual effectively. He retains making an attempt to earn a spot right here,” stated head coach Simon Ferguson, who says the staff nonetheless has three goalies he thinks can play and can maintain working by that course of.
Brennan’s aim opened the scoring 12 minutes into the sport.
The Warriors ultimately tied it earlier than the interval was out when Carter Oakenfold, acquired on the deadline final yr, intercepted a cross at his personal blueline, raced the size of the ice, and whereas being taken down from behind, lifted the puck over Reay’s outstretched pad.
It was the Warriors first shorthanded aim of the season.
“It was actual good. He confirmed additional pace as effectively on that breakaway.
“I believed he was going to get caught, however an actual good learn to select off the cross on the PK then activate the afterburners as effectively.”
It didn’t take lengthy for the Warriors to interrupt the tie.
Simply 3:34 into the second off the push, Jack Pridham stepped over the Vernon line and snapped a shot that beat Reay cleanly.
The Vipers complained the play was offside and replays confirmed it was shut on the blueline. The officers huddled for a couple of moments earlier than calling it a very good aim.
Ogini stoned the Vipers the remainder of the best way.
“It was ugly,” stated Ferguson of the sport.
“There are quite a lot of issues we’ve to work on, clear up and perceive about taking part in 60 minute hockey.
“In saying that we discovered a manner and you have to like that.”
The Warriors are 1-1-1 on the younger season whereas the Vipers have dropped their first three.
The identical two groups meet tomorrow evening within the Vipers residence opener. Puck drop is 6 p.m. at Kal Tire Place.
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