BROADCAST INFORMATION
Game Time: 6:00 pm PDT
Location: SOEC, Penticton
Radio: Bounce 800 AM
Webcast: Flo Hockey
Season Series
Dec. 8 Penticton 0 at Salmon Arm 1
Dec. 9 Salmon Arm 2 at Penticton 1
Dec 30 Penticton 3 at Salmon Arm 4
Feb. 2 Penticton 5 at Salmon Arm 2
Feb. 19 Penticton 2 at Salmon Arm 3 (OT)
Mar. 23 Salmon Arm at Penticton, 6:00 pm PDT
Penticton Vees
GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
Record : GP 50 38-8-3-2, 81 PTS (Clinched 1st, Interior)
Last Game: 5-2 win vs. Merritt (Mar. 22)
Home: 21-3-0-0
Away: 17-5-3-2
GF: 198
GA: 105
Power Play: (52/173) 30.0% 1st
Penalty Kill: (31/145) 78.6% 9th
Scoring Leader: Callum Arnott (26-25-51)
The Vees have three games left in the regular season, all at home, as they look to string together back-to-back wins.
Penticton got back in the win column Friday, beating the Merritt Centennials 5-2 at the SOEC. Callum Arnott, Thomas Pichette, Billy Renfrew all had multi-point games. Renfrew finished with a pair of goals and Arnott and Pichette each had a goal and an assist. Larry Keen also scored for Penticton.
Tonight, is the sixth and final meeting with the Silverbacks, and the first match up since February 19th. The Vees are 1-3-1-0 against Salmon Arm this season. All but one of the previous five games have been decided by a goal. Salmon Arm handed the Vees their first home loss of the season back on December 9th (2-1), in their only other visit to the SOEC. The Silverbacks are the only Interior team that the Vees have a losing record against.
Billy Renfrew enters Saturday riding an eight-game point streak, where he has compiled 15 points (7G, 8A). Renfrew’s 30 points since January 1st is the third-most in the BCHL.
Andrew Ness is the Vees’ projected starter in net. The 19-year-old has split his previous two starts against Salmon Arm. Ness’ last start was a 2-1 setback to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs on March 16th. He has 16 wins in 23 games this season and sports a 2.14 goals-against average and .915 save percentage.
Salmon Arm Silverbacks
Head Coach: Tyler Shattock
2023-24 : GP 50 31-16-0-3, 65 PTS (3rd, Interior)
Last Game: 5-2 win vs. Coquitlam (Mar. 16th)
Home: 18-4-0-2
Away: 13-12-0-1
GF: 166
GA: 128
Power Play: (32/144) 22.2% 6th
Penalty Kill: (27/143) 81.1% 3rd
Scoring Leader: Tristan Allen (7-38-45)
Salmon Arm had Friday off, as they open their weekend in Penticton. The Silverbacks host the Centennials tomorrow afternoon.
The Silverbacks are coming off a 5-2 at home over the Coquitlam Express one week ago today. That win pushed their win streak to four games, as they have won five of their last six. Salmon Arm seems to have found their rhythm after a bit of a rough patch post BCHL roster deadline.
The Silverbacks were one of the more active teams around trade deadline on February 10th, as they brought in four new pieces. After a flurry of moves, Salmon Arm lost four of their next five after the deadline, but not have settled in, winning five of their last six.
Salmon arm started their current four-game win streak back on March 8th in Cranbrook, as they swept the Bucks in a weekend doubleheader.
20-year-old Eli Pulver has been one of the best goaltenders in the BCHL this season and has been excellent against the Vees. Pulver is 4-1 against the Vees, sporting a 1.94 goals-against average and .939 save percentage.
