Warriors add forward to 2017-18 roster

Last Thursday, the West Kelowna Warriors announced the commitment of forward Max Bulawka for the 2017/18 season.

Bulawka, 16, spent the previous two seasons with the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL). The Kelowna native played with the bantam prep and elite 15s squads during the 2015-16 season, compiling 20 goals and 55 points in 32 games between the two teams.

The six-foot and 170-pound forward spent the 2016-17 season with the midget prep team at POE, where he finished second in team scoring with 13 goals and 31 points in 30 games played along with 16 penalty minutes.

“Max is a great young talent,” Warriors head coach and general manager Rylan Ferster said in a press release. “For such a young player, he doesn’t panic with the puck and already has a solid 200-foot game, which should translate well into his first year of junior hockey.”

After giving up a late goal that tied the game, the Penticton Vees found some life in overtime.

Taylor Sanheim’s second goal of the game at 6:29 of the 4-on-4, 10-minute extra session gave the Vees a 3-2 win over the host Cobourg Cougars in round-robin play at the RBC Cup national Junior-A championship on Monday.

“We found a way, what can you say, it was our 42nd one-goal game of the season,” said Vees GM/head coach Fred Harbinson. “It’s been the story of our year.”

The Vees (1-0-1) moved into a three-way tie for second place in the five-team competition with Cobourg and Terrebonne Cobras.

Through two games, each team has three points, while Brooks Bandits are in first with five points and Trenton Golden Hawks are currently the odd team out with one point.

The Vees had Tuesday off but take on Trenton today at 12:30 p.m. PDT.

On the winning goal, captain Nicholas Jones made a magnificent no-look, behind-the-back pass to a wide-open Sanheim who quickly hoisted the puck over lunging Cobourg goalie Stefano Durante.

Chris Klack also scored and Jones had two assists for the Vees, who twice surrendered one-goal leads in the game. Spencer Roberts and Brennan Roy scored for the Cougars, who have also gone to overtime in both their games.

Mat Robson made 29 saves for the win while Durante made 30 saves and was named Cobourg’s player of the game. Defenceman Griffin Mendel got the honour for the Vees.