BROADCAST & TICKET INFORMATION
Game Time: 7:00 pm PT
Location: SOEC
Tonight’s game will be broadcast on Bounce 800 am and Hockey TV, starting with the pre-game show at 6:40 pm. Tickets are just $17 for adults and $15 for seniors. Local youth under 19 are FREE, courtesy of Peters Brothers Construction.
Penticton Vees
GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
2022-23: GP 4 4-0-0-0, 1st Interior Division
Returnees: 14
Rookies: 7
GP 1 1-0-0-0
Home: 1-0-0-0
Away: 0-0-0-0
Season Series:
Oct 7th, vs. Merritt, 7:00 pm
Oct 14th, at Merritt, 7:00 pm
Dec 14th, at Meritt, 7:00 pm
Feb 18th, at Merritt, 7:00 pm
Mar 3rd, at Meritt, 7:00 pm
Mar 11th, vs. Meritt, 6:00 pm
Mar 18th, vs. Merritt, 6:00 pm
BCHL News: Vees forward Josh Nadeau was named the BCHL First Star of the Week, for the week ending October 2nd. He earned top honours after he registered six points in the Vees two wins last week against Salmon Arm and West Kelowna. On Friday, Nadeau had a goal and two helpers in Penticton’s 6-1 victory over the Silverbacks. He followed that up with another first star performance Saturday, against West Kelowna, with three assists in the Vees 10-3 thumping of the Warriors. The 19-year-old leads the BCHL in scoring with 10 points (3G, 7A) in four games.
Last Game: Penticton kept their perfect record intact with that decisive 10-3 win over the Warriors last Saturday. The Vees led 3-1 after the first period and 6-2 after 40 minutes. Nadeau, Brett Moravec (1G, 2A) and Aydar Suniev (2G, 1A) all had three-point games. Dovar Tinling had a pair of goals and Billy Norcross, Jackson Nieuwendyk, Ben Brunette, Frank Djurasevic, and Hiroki Gojsic also scored in the win. Penticton scored twice on the power play and once short handed.
Tonight’s Game: The Vees are back home to kick-off a two-game weekend home stand; they host Salmon Arm Saturday. Penticton is 2-0 at the SOEC thus far, posting back-to-back 7-1 wins over Trail and Cranbrook on opening weekend. Tonight, is the first of seven meetings with the Centennials. Last season, the Vees were 7-0-0-0 against the Centennials and outscored them 51-9 in those seven games. These two teams meet again a week from tonight, October 14th, at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena in Merritt.
Looks like Hank Levy will make his Vees regular season debut tonight. Levy’s playing rights were acquired from the Blackfalds Bulldogs in the AJHL in August. The 20-year-old played one game with the Wenatchee Wild last season, against Penticton ironically, and in the NAHL with the Minnesota Magicians.
Merritt Centennials
GM & Head Coach: Curtis Toneff
2022-23: GP 4 2-2-0-0, 6th Interior Division,
Returnees: 8
Rookies: 9
Home: 0-2-0-0
Away: 2-0-0-0
Last Game: The Centennials have won back-to-back games after a massive, 5-4 come-from-behind shootout win over the Chilliwack Chiefs last Saturday. Merritt, on the road, came back from 3-0 down in the second period to win in the shootout. That win on a the heels of a 4-3 overtime win a night earlier in Coquitlam. Jackson Krill (1G, 1A) and Tristan Allen (0G, 2A) each had two points in the win in the Chiefs. Allen and Diego Johnson scored in the shootout to earn the win for Merritt.
Scouting Report: Curtis Toneff, who took over the reins last December, has the Cents’ off to much better start than a season ago. Through four games, Merritt is sitting at the 500 mark and have picked up back-to-back impressive road wins. The Centennials have eight players back from last year’s squad that finished with three wins, but early returns suggest this team has a chip on their shoulder and have something to prove.
18-year-old Jackson Krill is off to a great start, as he has put up four goals in the first four games. Krill was acquired lat season from the Trail Smoke Eaters. 16-year-old rookie Diego Johnson, who played at OHA last season, has had great start too, averaging a point per game through his first four games.
In net is returnee Johnny Hicks and former Alberni Valley Bulldog Hayden Dunford. Both have seen action this season, with the 20-year-old Dunford playing in two of their first four games.
