Bandits take WCC opener, 5-2 over Chilliwack
PENTICTON, B.C. (April 29, 2017) – The Brooks Bandits opened the WCC with a comeback win, scoring five consecutive goals to rebound from a 1-0 first period deficit and downing the BCHL representative Chilliwack Chiefs 5-2 to begin the 2017 Western Canada Cup.
The Bandits outshot Chilliwack 31-12 through the opening 40 minutes of play, and 36-24 in the game, moving their round robin record to 1-0.
Despite a 14-5 shot advantage for the Bandits in the opening period, Chilliwack had the only goal when a turnover at neutral ice led to an odd man rush for the Chiefs. A pad save by Mitch Benson (Windsor, ON) on the initial shot led to a rebound tap-in goal for Anthony Vincent, giving Chilliwack its first goal on just its second shot of the game.
The Bandits broke things open in the second, however, outshooting the Chiefs 17-7 and finally being rewarded for their dominant puck possession. First, Cale Makar (Calgary, AB) accepted a pass from Josh McKechney (Calgary, AB), snuck in to the low slot and fired a low shot past Chief goalie Matt Sinclair to knot the game at 1-1.