Penticton, BC: The Penticton Vees (14-5-1-2) hit double digits in goals in back to back games for the first time since October 2014 with a 10-1 route of the Cowichan Valley Capitals (2-18-3-1) Saturday night.
Just 22 seconds into the game a shot from the right point by Ryan O’Connell hit Jack Barnes in the skate and deflected past Adam Marcoux to give the Vees the lead.
Jared Nash set a new career high with his sixth goal of the season to give the Vees a 2-0 lead just four minutes later after tapping in a centring feed from Taylor Ward.
Not long after, the Vees were hit with back to back questionable unsportsmanlike penalties to put them down two men. Ty Pochipinski scored with just one second remaining in the five on three to cut the lead down to 2-1.
Nash was clipped with a high stick off a face-off in the attacking zone that went undetected by the officials. Vees head coach Fred Harbinson voiced his displeasure, and was subsequently ejected from the game.
Grant Cruikshank scored a short-handed goal just seconds after Harbinson had been kicked out to restore the two-goal lead. The Vees lead 3-1 heading into the first intermission as the officials exited the ice to a chorus of boos from the crowd.
Less than three minutes into the second, Barnes scored his second of the night as Jonny Tychonick’s slap shot hit him in the slot and beat Marcoux.
At the six minute mark of the period, O’Connell showed some great patience in the slot, out waiting a Capitals defender before finding some open ice and firing home his third goal of the season to make it 5-1.
Kenny Johnson threw a huge open ice hit in front of the Cowichan bench, hamming down Nicholas Wilson as he skated down the left wing. Andrew Jackson took exception, jumping Johnson from behind as gloves were dropped. Johnson was ejected from the game while Jackson was given a double minor for roughing.
O’Connell’s goal prompted a goalie change as Jason Pichette made his BCHL debut in goal. Ryan Sandelin welcomed him to the league by banking a puck off him from below the goal line for a power-play goal to make it 6-1.
Taylor Ward made it 7-1 before the end of the period as his shot from the bottom of the left circle got stuck in the net after he roofed it over Pichette.
Cowichan showed some push back in the third, throwing 14 shots at Nolan Hildebrand. The Vees were the only ones to find the back of the net, however. First it was Cassidy Bowes taking a long feed from Tychonick and scoring on a breakaway.
Owen Sillinger tapped in a cross-crease feed by Nicky Leivermann on the power play with under six minutes to go in the game before Lukas Sillinger finished off the scoring in the game by sweeping a loose puck in the crease past Pichette to hit 10 goals on the night.
The Vees now prepare to head to Trail for a big divisional matchup against the Smoke Eaters (19-5-1-0) looking for revenge from the last time they were there as Trail picked up a 4-1 win.
