The Penticton Vees (39-13-1-2) are into their final week of the BCHL regular season and they finish out their schedule with three games on the road, starting tonight against the West Kelowna Warriors (27-26-0-2) at Royal LePage Place.
Season Series
September 30th Penticton 3 at West Kelowna 1
October 22nd Penticton 6 at West Kelowna 3
November 22nd Penticton 4 at West Kelowna 1
January 11th West Kelowna 2 at Penticton 4
January 22nd West Kelowna 2 at Penticton 4
February 17th West Kelowna 0 at Penticton 5
February 21st Penticton at West Kelowna
Vees Scoring vs. Warriors
| Nicholas Jones | 9-4-13 |
| Owen Sillinger | 2-4-6 |
| Chris Klack | 1-5-6 |
| Grant Cruikshank | 4-1-5 |
| Ty Amonte | 3-2-5 |
Warriors Scoring vs. Vees
| Connor Sodergren | 4-2-6 |
| Quin Foreman | 1-5-6 |
| Braiden Epp | 0-3-3 |
| Chase Stevenson | 2-0-2 |
| Tyler Jutting | 0-2-2 |
This is the seventh and final meeting between the two South Okanagan rivals and the Vees have won the previous six, including Friday’s 5-0 shutout win at the SOEC. That game featured plenty of emotion, as the two teams combined for 160 penalty minutes and nine misconducts. In fact, the last two meetings have been quite testy, as they combined for over 140 penalty minutes back on January 22nd, in the Vees’ 4-2 win.
Tonight is the fourth game in West Kelowna and the Vees have won the previous three, including their last visit back on November 22nd (4-1). The Vees have enjoyed quite a bit of success in West Kelowna in the last few years, winning eight of their last nine games at RLP. Their only regular season loss in West Kelowna in the last three seasons was back on December 18th, 2015, when they were shutout 2-0. Taking it one step further, the Vees have won 15 of their last 17 regular season games in West-K.
The Vees just wrapped up their home portion of their schedule on the weekend, as they won two of their three games at the SOEC. Penticton beat the Warriors 5-0 Friday, lost 5-1 Saturday to Salmon Arm but rebounded Sunday, with a 2-1 overtime win over Victoria. It was a great weekend at the rink, as 10,473 fans watched the three games on the weekend, including over 4,200 on Saturday and another 3,300 on Sunday afternoon.
West Kelowna rebounded from Friday’s loss with a 3-2 overtime win over the Grizzlies on Saturday night. After the two teams combined for four goals in the first period, there wasn’t another goal until four-minutes into OT, when Chase Stevenson scored a power-play goal. Tonight is the Warriors final home game of the regular season, as they visit Merritt and Salmon Arm on the weekend.
The Vees come into tonight’s game with a 17-8-0-1 road record and haven’t lost on the road, in regulation, since January 28th; in their four road games since they’re 3-0-0-1. The Warriors have won 17 of their 28 home games this season and have won two of their last three at RLP.
Mat Robson will likely get the start in goal for the Vees and owns a 33-12 record, with a 2.01 goals-against average and sports a .927 save percentage; he has a .950 save percentage and one shutout against West Kelowna. Robson’s shutout streak was snapped at just over 170-minutes on Sunday, when Victoria scored a power-play goal midway through the first. That was the first goal Robson allowed since the second period against Trail back on February 8th.
After his 40-save performance against Victoria Saturday, you’d be safe to assume Gabriel Morency will get the start against Penticton. Morency is 5-2, owning a 2.84 goals-against average and a very respectable .922 save percentage. Morency relieved Cole Demers in the second period of Friday’s game, after Demers allowed three goals on just five shots; Morency stopped 14 of 16 in the final 39-minutes.
West Kelowna is battling the Trail Smoke Eaters for the third seed in the Interior Division. As of this morning, the Warriors and Smoke Eaters each have 56 points but tonight’s game is the one West-K has in hand on Trail. After tonight, they each have a pair of games over the weekend, and it very well may come down to the wire who grabs third.
Nicholas Jones enters the week nine points up on Grant Cruikshank for the team scoring lead. Jones has 58 points in 55 games and a team-best 36 assists. Cruikshank just scored his 30th goal on Sunday afternoon and has 49 points in 54 games. Can Cruikshank go on a tear this week and close the gap on Jones?
Jones is and will be the Vees’ top scorer against the Warriors this season, as he has a team-best nine goals and 13 points in six games against West Kelowna; Owen Sillinger and Chris Klack are the next closest with six points.
Quin Foreman has been the Warriors offensive catalyst, leading the team in assists (41) and points (65) and has a share of the lead in goals (24). Behind him is Connor Sodergren who has 55 points in 55 games and is tied with Foreman in goals. Sodergren and Foreman are both tied when it comes to scoring against Penticton, as each have six points in six games; Sodergren has four goals.
Tonight’s game can be heard on EZ Rock AM 800 locally, or via the iHeartRadio app on your iPhone, iPad, smartphone and or tablet. The game is also available via the BCHL webcast at www.HockeyTV.com
