PHOTO: Mike Hockley
The Penticton Vees look to make it back-to-back wins as they face-off against the Trail Smoke Eaters in the second half of their season opening doubleheader on Saturday night at the Trail Memorial Centre.
2019/20 REGULAR SEASON VS. TRAIL
Friday, September 6th @ Trail Memorial Centre (4-1 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Saturday, September 7th @ Trail Memorial Centre (7:00 PM)
Wednesday, October 23rd @ South Okanagan Events Centre (6:30 PM)
Wednesday, November 6th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (6:30 PM)
Friday, January 10th @ Trail Memorial Centre (7:00 PM)
Saturday, January 11th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (6:00 PM)
Penticton comes into the finale of the weekend set after a season opening 4-1 victory over the Smoke Eaters on Friday night at the Trail Memorial Centre. Tristan Amonte tallied twice in the game for the Vees while David Silye and Evan McIntyre added singles in the victory. Yaniv Perets shined in the win, making 23 saves on 24 shots for his 1st career BCHL win in between the pipes.
Vees Leading Scorers:
Tristan Amonte (2-0-2)
Evan McIntyre (1-0-1)
David Silye (1-0-1)
Carson Kosobud (0-1-1)
Liam Malmquist (0-1-1)
With the win on Friday night, the Vees have won three of their last four games to open the regular season with victories in 2016 against the Prince George Spruce Kings and 2017 against the Merritt Centennials. Penticton will look to make it back-to-back wins to begin a season for the first time since the 2017/18 campaign where they registered 6 wins in a row off the hop.
Two goals from Norwell, Massachusetts native Tristan Amonte were a big helping hand in the Vees earning a season opening victory over the Smoke Eaters. The 6’0”, 167-pound forward potted three goals in the preseason before tallying twice in the opening game of the regular season. Amonte spent the 2018/19 season with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL before joining the Vees in the summer and paid immediate dividends.
Yaniv Perets was another player that was brilliant in Friday night’s season opening triumph. The Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec native made 23 saves on 24 shots for his first BCHL victory while making one of his biggest stops in the opening period as the University of Quinnipiac commit jetted out his left pad to make a big shorthanded stop on Tyler Ghirardosi in the opening period.
The Trail Smoke Eaters look to bounce back after a 4-1 loss in the season opener to the Vees on Friday night at the Trail Memorial Centre. Owen Ozar tallied the lone marker for the Smoke Eaters in the game while Donovan Buskey made the start in goal, making 21 saves on 25 shots before Logan Terness came on to stop each of the 9 shots he faced in the final frame.
Smoke Eaters Leading Scorers:
Owen Ozar (1-0-1)
Braden Costello (0-1-1)
For the third straight season, the Smoke Eaters dropped their home opener, having not registered a win in their opening home game since 2016. Trail saw their opening game losing streak stretch to four games after the loss to the Vees with this being the first weekend the Smoke Eaters have not hosted the West Kelowna Warriors since the 2016/17 season.
Looking for more offence for the Smoke Eaters may come in the way of veteran USHLer Braden Costello, who chipped in with an assist on Friday night. The University of North Dakota commit was drafted second overall in the USHL’s Entry Draft in 2016 and has over 100 games of experience in the United States Hockey League.
The Vees and Smoke Eaters face-off in the second game of their weekend doubleheader on Saturday at the Trail Memorial Centre. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM with the game being broadcasted live on EZ Rock AM 800 as well as HockeyTV.com. The pregame show starts at 6:40 PM with the Voice of the Vees, Trevor Miller.
The Vees home opener is slated for Friday, September 27th against the West Kelowna Warriors. Contact Director of Ticketing & Merchandise Laura Carleton for more information on season tickets and watching the Vees live this season.
