PHOTO: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography
PENTICTON, B.C. – The Penticton Vees clinched their place into the 2nd round of the BC Hockey League after defeating the Trail Smoke Eaters by a 5-1 score in Game #5 of their Interior Conference Quarter Final series to win the series four games to one on Thursday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The Vees came out with plenty of pressure and jump to their game in the early part of the period and got ahead just 2:35 into the opening frame as Bradly Nadeau gave Penticton a 1-0 lead. Frank Djurasevic threw a puck from the right boards that was deflected in at the front of the net by Bradly for his 1st goal of the playoffs to give the Vees an early 1-0 advantage in Game #5.
Stefano Bottini pushed the Penticton lead to 2-0 just under halfway through the opening period on a nice pass from the left side from Thomas Pichette to set the play up. Pichette threw a pass to the left face-off circle where Bottini kicked the puck from his right skate to his forehand and zipped a shot over the shoulder of Smoke Eaters goaltender Cole Tisdale for his 1st goal of the playoffs and a 2-0 advantage.
Penticton remained in control of the opening period and got ahead by a trio of goals late in the period at the 17:43 mark to give themselves a 3-0 lead. Casey McDonald chased a loose puck inside of the offensive end on the forecheck and crashed into a Smoke Eaters defender and freed the puck to the front of the net as Spencer Smith pushed a backhand shot over the glove side of Tisdale for his 2nd goal of the playoffs and a 3-0 lead heading into the 2nd period.
The Vees 6th power play goal of the series pushed Penticton to a 4-0 lead early in the middle frame as Brett Moravec potted his team-leading 3rd tally of the playoffs. Luc Wilson took a Grayson Arnott pass in the right face-off circle and sent the puck to the front of the net where Moravec collected on his forehand and moved to his backhand and beat Tisdale on the glove side 2:45 into the middle stanza for a four-goal lead and carried that advantage into the 3rd period.
Just 34 seconds into the final frame, Josh Nadeau picked up his second goal of the playoffs and gave the Vees their largest lead of the series at 5-0 early into the 3rd period. Bradly spotted his brother Josh with a pass from below the goal line to the slot where he ripped a shot over the blocker side of Tisdale and pushed Penticton ahead by five goals.
The Vees continued to keep rolling through the 3rd period with Trail breaking the shutout bid of Penticton netminder Kaeden Lane with Teddy Lagerback scoring on a spinning backhand shot over his shoulders from the bottom of the left face-off circle to make it a 5-1 game at the 12:15 mark of the final period.
Lane was once again strong in Game #5, making 17 saves on 18 shots in his 4th win of the playoffs while Cole Tisdale turned aside 35 of the 40 shots thrown his way in his 4th loss of the playoffs.
FINAL SCORE: 5-1 Vees
SHOTS ON GOAL: 40-18 Vees
VEES PP: 1/5
VEES PK: 4/4
3 STARS:
1) Bradly Nadeau (1-1-2)
2) Adam Eisele (0-2-2)
3) Stefano Bottini (1-0-1)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game: Thomas Pichette (0-1-1)
Attendance: 2,776
The Vees have punched their ticket to the second round of the BCHL playoffs and will begin their Interior Conference Semi Final series next week. The exact schedule and opponent is to be determined.
