KIJHL Week 1: Cariboo teams fight to break even through opening weekend

The trio of Cariboo Teams came out punchy in the opening weekend of the KIJHL season, and ended it dead even.

The first weekend showed both highs and lows in scoring for the Mustangs, River Rush and Wranglers. But a common theme has begun to occur. Teams facing the Cariboo teams are going to leave the ice battered and bruised.

Friday:

The Quesnel River Rush came out swinging against the Merritt Centennials to open the 2025/2026 season.

While Merritt opened the scoring early on a power play off an Isaiah Bagri tripping penalty. The Rush answered back with a run of three goals. Gage Parrell scored the first Rush goal, followed by two goals, including the go-ahead, from Ian George.

It was a physical game on each side of the benches; both teams accumulated 25 penalty minutes, which boiled over to a fight between the Rush’s Rhyle Weaselhead and the Centennials’ Brando Purinton in the third period. Weaselhead and Purinton got majors and were ejected.

Merritt scored early in the third period, but a pair of goals from Isaiah Bagri for the Rush played the game’s final notes.

Starting their season on the road Friday night, the 100 Mile House Wranglers fell 4-2 against the Osoyoos Coyotes.

A scrappy game with both teams accumulating more than 30 penalty minutes, and the Wranglers’ Dawson Harden and the Coyotes’ Logan Messer getting majors and ejections in the second period.

Trace Reid and Austin Watts scored the Wranglers’ pair of goals.

Saturday:

100 Mile got some redemption the next day with a 3-2 overtime win in Kelowna against the Chiefs.

The Wranglers served 48 penalty minutes, made up mainly from misconducts.

Landen Janez and Dawson Harden scored during regualtion. Harden scored the game winner in overtime.

It was Williams Lake’s turn to face the Merritt Centennials on Saturday, and the Centennials took out all of their angst from losing to Quesnel on the Mustangs.

The Centennials tamed the Mustangs with a 5-3 win. While the Mustangs’ J.P Desabrais opened the scoring in the first, Merritt scored three in a row, before the Mustangs answered back in the second period with Logan Haulk’s goal.

Merritt opened the third period with a power play goal. Then Haulk got his second goal of the season, putting the Mustangs 1 behind. The Centennials ended the game with an empty net goal.

Sunday:

The Mustangs put on a scoring frenzy against the River Rush on Sunday to wrap up the weekend.

Despite Quesnel outshooting the Mustangs 33-25 throughout the contest. The Mustangs kept up consistent scoring runs to keep them ahead.

Alberto Kellgren and Declan Pocock for the Mustangs opened the scoring. Then Toren Fron put the River Rush on the board. J.P Desabrais then scored his second goal of the season to end the first period.

The Mustangs kept up with scoring run with two unanswered goals in the second. Ian George for Quesnel scored his third goal of the season at the halfway mark of the period. Then the period ended with the Cariboo rivals trading blows along the boards.

The third period played out much like the latter half of the second period. Highly physical that slowed the game down, however more shots and chances. Logan Haulk scored his third of the season to give the Mustangs their final tally on the night. Isaiah Bagri also picked up his third goal of the season on a short-handed drive.

The Cariboo teams are sitting 1-1 at the end of week 1. The Kamloops Storm are in first in the Doug Birks Division at 2-0.

Next Week: