HEADER

GAME DAY: GM #25 Vees at Wenatchee Wild

Photo: Jack Murray

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Game Time: 7:05 pm PT

Location: Toyota Town Center

RadioBounce 800 am

Webcast: Hockey TV 


Penticton Vees

GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson

2022-23: GP 23 23-0-0-0, 1st Interior Conference

Home: 14-0-0-0

Away: 10-0-0-0

GF: 137

GA: 43

Power Play: 36.8% (1)

Penalty Kill: 83.1% (3)

Top Scorer: Bradly Nadeau (25-25-50)

Top Scorer vs. Wenatchee: Josh Nadeau (1-4-5)

Last 5 Games: Next 5 Games:
3-2 W vs. West Kelowna (Dec. 3) OT Dec. 10 @ Cranbrook, 6:00 pm
4-2 W @ Powell River (Nov. 26) Dec. 14 @ Merritt, 7:00 pm
7-1 W @ Alberni Valley (Nov. 25) Dec. 16 vs. Wenatchee, 7:00 pm 
5-3 W vs. Salmon Arm (Nov. 23) Dec. 17 @ West Kelowna, 7:00 pm
4-1 W vs. Prince George (Nov. 19) Dec. 30 vs. West Kelowna, 7:00 pm

Season Series vs. Wenatchee

4-2 W @ Wenatchee (Oct. 22)
5-1 W vs. Wenatchee (Nov. 5)
Dec. 9 @ Wenatchee, 7:05 pm
Dec. 16 vs. Wenatchee, 7:00 pm
Feb. 24 vs. Wenatchee, 7:00 pm

BCHL Top Prospects Game: The BC Hockey League unveiled rosters for the 2023 BCHL Top Prospects Game, set for Jan. 20, in Penticton. Six Vees were named to the Team East roster and Fred Harbinson was named the Head Coach for the game. More details here.

Last Game: The Vees fashioned together a third period comeback on Dec. 3, against the West Kelowna Warriors, winning 3-2 in overtime on their Teddy Bear Toss night. Trailing 2-0 at the start of the third period, the Vees got goals from Dovar Tinling and Bradly Nadeau (power play) to force OT. In the extra frame, Bradly set up older brother Josh Nadeau on a breakaway for the game-winning goal. Last Saturday was the Vees second come from behind victory this season. The other coming Oct. 20, vs. Alberni Valley at the BCHL Showcase.

Tonight’s Game: Tonight, is meeting number three of five with the Wenatchee Wild. The Vees bested the Wild 5-1 in their previous meeting back on Nov. 5, at the SOEC. They’re 2-0 against Wenatchee this season, as Penticton picked up a 4-2 win at Toyota Town Center back on Oct. 22. Josh Nadeau leads the Vees against the Wild, with five points (1G, 4A) in two games. Bradly Nadeau has three goals in two games. Goaltender Luca Di Pasquo has won both of his starts against Wenatchee and has  .938 save percentage so far against the Wild.

Wenatchee Wild

GM: Bliss Littler

Head Coach: Chris Clark

2022-23: GP 24 9-13-0-2, 8th Interior Conference

Home: 5-3-0-1

Away: 4-10-0-1

GF: 82

GA: 90

Power Play: 16.7% (17)

Penalty Kill: 74.4% (17)

Top Scorer: Ean Somoza (8-20-28)

Top Scorer vs. Vees: Luke Weilandt (1-2-3)

Last 5 Games: Next 5 Games:
4-2 L @ Vernon (Dec. 3) Dec. 11 vs. West Kelowna, 6:05 pm
6-5 L @ Trail (Dec. 2) Dec. 13 vs. Vernon, 6:05 pm
3-2 L @ Cranbrook (Nov. 30) Dec. 16 @ Penticton, 7:00 pm
3-2 L vs. Trail (Nov. 26) SO Dec. 17 @ Vernon, 6:00 pm
5-4 W vs. Trail (Nov. 25) SO Dec. 30 vs. Prince George, 7:05 pm

Last Game: The Wild lost their fourth in a row (0-3-0-1) last Saturday, dropping a 4-2 decision on the road to the Vernon Vipers. There was no scoring through 40 minutes, before the two teams combined for a six-goal third period. Micah Berger gave Wenatchee a 1-0 lead six minutes into the third period, but the Vipers than stormed back to take a 3-1 lead. The Wild’s Cade Littler made it a 3-2 game with less than three minutes to go, but the Vipers added an insurance marker with under two minutes left.

Scouting Report: Wenatchee was, outside of Penticton, the hottest team in the Interior Conference in November. The Wild rattled off six-straight wins through the middle of last month to leapfrog Merritt for eighth place and close the gap on the Vipers and Trail Smoke Eaters. However, Wenatchee has hit a bit of a speed bump, losing their last three, including both games on the road last weekend. The Wild are starting a three-game home stand tonight, as the host the Warriors Sunday and the Vipers on Tuesday. Crucial stretch before the Christmas break.

Wenatchee has two players going to the BCHL Top Prospects Game. Defencemen Lukas McCloskey and David Hejduk will both play for Team East.