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Vees earn split in Chilliwack with 5-1 Game Two Win

The Penticton Vees are leaving Chilliwack Saturday night with a win and a series split, after a 5-1 Game Two win at Prospera Centre in the Fraser Valley.

Ryley Risling, Cassidy Bowes, Duncan Campbell, Nicholas Jones and Chris Klack all scored for the Vees, and Mat Robson kicked-out 37 shots in goal, as the Vees bounced back after Friday’s 4-2 loss in the Fred Page Cup opener.

Carver Watson was the lone Chief to find the back of the net, as Chilliwack dropped back to 5-5 at home in the playoffs. Mark Sinclair to the loss in net, surrendering four goals on 27 shots.

The Vees got goals from both young and old in the first period, as Ryley Risling and call up Cassidy Bowes got the visitors out ahead 2-0. Risling, inserted back in the line-up for the first time since Game Six against Merritt, made an immediate impact, capitalizing off a turnover at the Chiefs blue-line less than three-minutes in.

Risling took the puck away from Carver Watson and then forced a shot through the arm of Sinclair from the top of the slot at 2:45. It was Risling first of the playoffs and in his first game in three weeks.

Later it the first it was a the Vees catching the Chiefs on a line change and it was a fresh face doubling the lead. Owen Sillinger hit a streaking Cassidy Bowes in the middle and the 18-year-old Affiliate Player, quickly went to his backhand and roofed it over Sinclair’s glove at 13:11. Bowes scoring his first career BCHL goal and picking up his third point in as many games.

Campbell added to the Vees lead late in the second, as he grabbed a loose puck in front of the Chiefs’ net and quickly fired a backhand up and over Sinclair at 15:40. Griffin Mendel has his point-shot blocked but the rebound laid right in front of Campbell, who scooped it into the net.

Chilliwack wasted little time in responding, as Carver Watson got them back within two just 27-seconds later. On the next shift after Campbell’s goal, the puck came back to Watson in the slot and he fired a wrist-shot through a crowd and up and over Robson’s glove to make it 3-1.

Penticton restored their three-goal lead early in the third frame and it was the Captain scoring his second in as many games. Grant Cruikshank had his shot blocked right out front, but the puck squirted over to Jones who rifled the rebound into an opening on the blocker-side at 3:46; Jones scoring his team-best ninth of the post-season.

Chilliwack then pulled the goalie with a little over nine-minutes left in the game, trying to generate some offense and had the goalie out for several minutes before the Vees finally iced it.

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With just over a minute left in regulation, Chris Klack skated down a loose puck in the Chilliwack end, and fired into an open net from the wing for his third at 18:53.

Final Score: 5-1 Vees

Shots: 34-28 Chilliwack

Power-Plays: Vees 0-2 Chilliwack 0-0

Three Stars: 1) Mat Robson 2) Gabe Bast 3) Kale Kane

Notes: With a pair of assists in Game Two, Gabe Bast now leads all BCHL defencemen in playoff scoring with five goals and 14 points. Penticton improved their record to 7-1 when scoring first in the playoffs. Including the regular season, the Vees are now 26-1-0-0 when scoring four or more goals in a game.

It’s a two-day break before the series resumes with Game Three back in Penticton on Tuesday, April 18th; puck drop is 7 pm. Fans can buy their tickets online at www.valleyfirsttix.com, or at the SOEC box office when they reopen at 10 am on Monday, April 17th. Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for seniors and local students and children (18 and under) are free, courtesy of Peter Bros. Construction.