The BCHL season officially kicked off on Friday with the Trail Smoke Eaters heading to Penticton for their pod with the host Vees and their Kootenay rivals, the Cranbrook Bucks.
Opening the season on Friday, the Smoke Eaters fell to the Vees 4-1. After being down 3-0 in the second period, Connor Michaud scored the first goal of the season for the Smoke Eaters and it turned out to be the only goal of the game for the team. Logan Terness got the start, making 33 saves in the losing effort.
The second game of the weekend came on Sunday as the Smoke Eaters weren’t able to get past the Cranbrook Bucks, losing 5-3.
Although the Smoke Eaters opened up the scoring with Noah Wakefords first of the season, the Bucks scored the next three in a row to take a 3-1 lead. Wakeford scored his second of the game late in the second to make it a one-goal game heading into the third period. Even with newly acquired Kalen Szeto scoring his first goal as a member of the team it wasn’t enough as the Bucks added two more goals in the final frame.
The Smoke Eaters will look to put a one beside the win column tomorrow when they face the Bucks for the second of ten matchups in the season. The team will also face the Vees a total of ten times before the season wraps up on May 9th.