Trail Smoke Eaters forward Tyler Ghirardosi scored twice including the game winning goal for the second second game in a row as the home team skated to 4-3 victory over the West Kelowna Warriors at the Cominco Arena on Friday.
The Montrose native tallied the game winner and the insurance marker in a 3-1 win over Wenatchee Wild on Wednesday and kept his scoring touch going against the Warriors, Friday.
Ghirardosi notched his 18th goal of the season and what stood as the game winner at 10:52 of the first period, firing a shot from the right corner that deflected off a Warriors stick and into the net for a 4-0 Smokies lead.
The quick start boded well for Trail but not the Warriors. Team Canada West suffered a 4-3 loss to the Czech Republic on Thursday at the World Jr. A Challenge eliminating Team West from the tournament. However, their loss was Trail’s gain as it gave captain Philippe Lapointe, Kent Johnson, Owen Ozar, and Powell Connor time to rejoin the Smokies for Friday’s tilt.
Johnson didn’t waste any time getting on the scoresheet and initiating the launch of the teddy bears on Teddy Bear Toss night at the Cominco Arena. The University of Michigan commit set up Cody Schiavon, who wired a shot shortside on Warriors starter Johnny Derrick for a 1-0 lead just 83 seconds in.
Less than two minutes later Ghirardosi made it 2-0, finishing a pretty pass from Johnson for the BCHL leading scorer’s 61st point. Then with Trail on the power play, Lapointe tallied his 12th of the season beating Brock Baire, who came on in relief of Derrick, on a setup from Ozar at 13:14.
After Ghiardosi made 4-0, the Warriors John Evans got West K on the board, intercepting a pass and walking in on Trail goalie Logan Terness with 2:09 left in the opening frame.
The Warriors scored 53 second apart midway through the middle frame on goals from Evans and Brendan Pigeon to keep it interesting.
However, Terness and Baire stole the show in the third, trading saves and stoning the offence in the 4-3 Smokies victory.
Trail outshot West Kelowna 42-26, went 1-for-5 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the PK.
Ghirardosi was named the game’s first star, Lapointe second star, and Baier third star.
Trail heads to Salmon Arm on Sunday for an afternoon game against the Silverbacks.
