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Weekend Preview: Vees at Blackfalds Bulldogs

Photo: Jack Murray

Penticton Vees 

President, General Manager & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson

2024-25 Record: GP 35 27-6-2-0, 56 pts (1st, Interior Conference)

Last Game: 2-1 win vs. Brooks Bandits (Jan. 24)

Home: 13-1-2-0

Away: 14-5-0-0

GF: 133

GA: 88

Power Play: (27/111) 24.3% 6th BCHL

Penalty Kill: (20/93) 78.5% 9th BCHL

Scoring Leader: Ryden Evers (15-22-37)

The Penticton Vees extended their point streak to 14 games on Friday, with their 2-1 road win over the Brooks Bandits. Nolan Stevenson and Luke Posthumus scored in the third period, after it was scoreless through 40 minutes. 

Stevenson and Posthumus each had two points on Friday’s win, as the Vees moved six points ahead of the Bandits for top spot in the Interior and overall standings.

Ethan Buenaventura was excellent in net, as he stopped 23 of 24 shots as he remains undefeated in regulation since joining the Vees in November. Buenaventura is now 8-0-1-0 in nine games with a .917 save percentage.

Tonight, the Vees look for the weekend sweep as they take on the Blackfalds Bulldogs at Eagle Builders Centre. It may be first versus last in the overall standings, but the ‘Dogs are certainly playing much better since their coaching change over the Christmas Break. Penticton certainly has to guard against tonight being a “trap game.” The Vees are 2-0 against Blackfalds this season, most recently winning 3-2 on December 28th at the SOEC. Tonight is the fourth and final meeting between the two teams.

One lineup change is in goal, as Will Ingemann gets the start tonight. The 19-year-old has won 15 of 22 games he has played. He also has a win against Blackfalds this season. Penticton will once again dress seven defencemen, and have defenceman Nate McIsaac filling role on the fourth line for the second consecutive night.

A couple of roster moves during the BCHL All-Star Break will see three new Vees make their debut in blue and white on Friday night. Last week the team made the acquisition of defenseman Oscar Pantzare (’04)  from the Victoria Grizzlies for future considerations while also signing forwards Connor Lee (‘07) and Tristan Lee Juhl Peterson (‘06). Lee arrives highly regarded from the Elite Ice Hockey League’s Manchester Storm, playing men’s professional hockey in Great Britain for the better part of the past two seasons. Petersen, from Hvidovre, Denmark, will join the Vees fresh off representing his home country at the U20 Div 1A World Junior Championships. The 18-year-old has spent the past two seasons with the Malmo Redhawks junior program in Sweden.

 

Blackfalds Bulldogs 

 Season Series:  

September 28th, Penticton 4 @ Blackfalds 1

November 1st, Blackfalds 2 @ Penticton 5

December 28th, Blackfalds 2 @ Penticton 3

January 25th, Penticton @ Blackfalds

 

Head Coach: Ryan Tobler 

2024-25 Record: GP 33, 4-27-2-0, 10 pts 

Last Game: 3-2 loss at West Kelowna, January 12th 

Home: 2-12-2-0 

Away: 2-15-0-0 

GF: 82 

GA: 158 

Power Play: 18/111 (16.2%, 18th in BCHL) 

Penalty Kill: 78/103 (75.7%,15th in BCHL) 

Scoring Leader: Joey Melo (7-8-15) 

If one thing has been made clear since the BCHL’s holiday break, it’s that these Blackfalds Bulldogs are not the same Blackfalds Bulldogs that became an easy out during the first half. With just two wins in their first 26 games prior to the holidays, the Bulldogs made a coaching change on December 21st, handing the reins to Interim Head Coach Ryan Tobler. Under his direction alongside a new coaching staff, the Bulldogs returned from the break refreshed and ready to compete. With a roster nearly completely turned over from opening night, Tobler has found ways to ensure the Bulldogs are competitive, with four of seven games being one goal games through January. 

Newly signed Russian goaltender Kiril Kapustin has been a big reason for the turnaround in Blackfalds, arriving and providing steady goaltending every night while a new group of players learn new systems and build chemistry in front of him. Kapustin, 20, made his BCHL debut against the Vees on December 28th and made 38 saves in a 3-2 loss in Penticton. In six total appearances including his debut, he’s allowed more than three goals only once and carries a .920% save percentage into action this weekend. The Bulldogs  

Joey Melo leads the Bulldogs in scoring entering play on January 24th, and has been tasked with leading a young group of players through the back half of the season. Named captain coming out of the holiday break, Melo is one of just four current Bulldogs who was in the lineup when they opened the season on September 20th against Sherwood Park. The 19-year-old Ontario product, committed to the University of Alaska-Anchorage, will look to help keep the Bulldogs competitive down the stretch and provide a tough test for the opposition heading towards the start of the BCHL Playoffs.