The Kamloops Blazers had goals from five different players but it wasn’t enough as the Wenatchee Wild came away with a 7-6 overtime win at Sandman Centre.

A five-point night for Easton Armstrong – which included the game’s opening goal and the overtime winner – gave Wenatchee the win in their first ever trip to Kamloops.

Armstrong opened the scoring at 2:45 of the first, but it was the Blazers who ended the period on a high.

Ashton Tait scored his first WHL goal at 12:31 before a fortuitous backhand by Connor Levis found the back of the next to give the Blazers the 2-1 lead going into the first intermission.

Congratulations to Ashton Tait on scoring his 1st WHL goal! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MxXSiaXVIi

— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) October 8, 2023

Kamloops came out flying in the second period with two goals in 19 seconds from Dylan Sydor and Bryce Minten inside the first two minutes.

The Blazers led 4-1 for most of the second before Wenatchee – featuring 13 players from last season’s Winnipeg Ice team that won 57 games – began to assert their dominance.

Goals from Armstrong and Karter Prosofsky 50 seconds apart brought the Wild to within one but Andrew Thomson at 16:48 restored the Blazers’ two goal lead, albeit for less than a minute.

Andrew Thomson capitalizes on a rebound to extend the lead! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MlWLZFlxHM

— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) October 9, 2023

Graham Sward at 17:26 and Miles Cooper in the final minute of the period sent the two teams back into the locker room tied at 5-5.

Levis’ second of the night in the third put the home team up once again, and it almost stood as the winner in a back and forth, edge of your seat affair Sunday afternoon.

Connor Levis nets his 2nd of the night to give the Blazers a 6-5 lead! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vFwvJ0GmAC

— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) October 9, 2023

But with the Wild net empty, Conor Geekie – playing in just his third WHL game since being returned by the Arizona Coyotes – forced overtime at 19:16 of the third.

Armstrong then completed his hat-trick 1:37 into overtime to give the Wild the extra point and their first overtime win of the season.

“Obivoulsy not the outcome we were looking for, but it feels nice to get that first one out of the way, a bit of closure for me, ” Tait said post-game. “I think we know what we need to do, we just need to close down on that guy. Nothing we can’t fix, but we just got to get ready, for sure.”

Matthew Kieper turned aside 29 of 36 shots he faced in a losing effort. His counterpart Daniel Hauser made 28 saves on 34 shots to earn the win.

The Blazers will hit the road for three games against US Division teams next weekend, in Spokane on Wednesday, Portland on Friday, and Tri-City on Saturday.

Their next home game is on Tuesday, Oct. 17, when the Swift Current Broncos visit Sandman Centre on the B.C. Division road trip.