BROADCAST INFORMATION
Game Time: 6:00 pm PST
Location: SOEC
Radio: Bounce 800 AM
Webcast: Flo Hockey
Season Series
Sep. 23 Penticton 6 at Merritt 0
Oct. 21 Merritt 4 at Penticton 6
Nov. 4 Penticton 5 at Merritt 2
Dec. 2 Penticton 3 at Merritt 2
Dec. 6 Merritt 1 at Penticton 2
Feb. 4 Penticton 4 at Merritt 0
Mar. 9 Merritt at Penticton, 6:00 pm PST
Mar. 22 Merritt at Penticton, 7:00 pm PST
Penticton Vees
GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
Record : GP 47 35-7-3-2, 75 PTS (1st, Interior)
Last Game: 2-1 (OT) win at West Kelowna (Mar. 8)
Home: 19-2-0-0
Away: 16-5-3-2
GF: 183
GA: 96
Power Play: (49/161) 30.4% 1st
Penalty Kill: (28/132) 78.8% 9th
Scoring Leader: Callum Arnott (25-20-45)
The Vees have won five in a row after Friday’s overtime win in West Kelowna. Penticton’s point streak is up to 12 games (11-0-1-0), as they haven’t lost in regulation since January 26th.
Ryan MacPherson and Francesco Dell’Elce scored for the Vees Friday. Dell’Elce the OT hero. Will Ingemann was the winning goaltender, as he stopped 24 o 25 shots. That win moved the Vees nine points ahead of the Warriors for top spot in the Interior.
Tonight is the Vees first home game in three weeks. They last played at home on February 17th, against West Kelowna.
Penticton can clinch the Interior Division regular season title tonight the following ways: A win and Warriors’ loss, or even an overtime loss and a Warriors loss. West Kelowna hosts Prince George.
Only lineup switch for Penticton will be in goal, as Andrew Ness gets the call between the pipes. Ness is 2-0 against the Centennials. The Vees are without forwards Cade Littler (upper-body) and Zack Stringer (upper-body).
The Vees are 6-0 against Merritt in the season series. Ryan MacPherson leads the way with nine points (4-5-9) against the Centennials. Brother Connor nine points (3-6-9) as well.
Merritt Centennials
Head Coach: Brian Passmore
2023-24 : GP 47 19-23-5-1, 43 PTS (6th, Interior)
Last Game: 5-4 OT loss vs. Vernon (Mar. 8)
Home: 12-10-3-0
Away: 7-13-1-1
GF: 148
GA: 177
Power Play: (31/157) 19.7% 13th
Penalty Kill: (33/169) 80.5% 4th
Scoring Leader: Michael Felsing (16-36-52)
Merritt is on a nice little run of late, winning five of their last seven games and have points in six of those seven. The Centennials sit sixth in the Interior, three points up on the Cranbrook Bucks.
The Centennials are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss at home to Vernon Friday. Merritt rescued a point last night after being down 4-0 early in the second period. The rally came in the second period, as Merritt scored four times on 13 shots to tie it 4-4 after two periods. Their third and fourth goals came 19 seconds apart.
Michael Felsing sits seventh overall in league scoring with 52 points in 47 games.
Merritt is visiting the SOEC for the first time since December 6th and they are looking to snap a 26-game losing streak to Penticton. The Centennials last beat the Vees on February 15, 2019.
