PHOTO: Alicia Baas/Alicia Baas Photography
The Penticton Vees (26-10-1-0) conclude their pre-Christmas schedule with a pair of home games, beginning against the Powell River Kings (18-16-2-0) on Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE vs. POWELL RIVER
Friday, October 11th @ Hap Parker Arena (6-2 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Friday, December 20th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (7:00 PM)
The Vees enter Friday night’s matchup after earning a 4-1 victory in the back half of a home-and-home set against the Vernon Vipers on Saturday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Conner Hutchison, David Silye, Lukas Sillinger and Carson Kosobud each found the back of the net in the win while Yaniv Perets made 20 saves on 21 shots in his 16th win in between the pipes.
Penticton will look for the sweep over Powell River after opening their season series with a 6-2 triumph over the Kings at Hap Parker Arena in early October. The Vees got goals from six different goal scorers as Jay O’Brien, David Silye, Evan McIntyre, Lukas Sillinger, Danny Weight and Liam Malmquist each scored in the contest with Yaniv Perets stopping 33 of the 35 shots thrown his way for the win in the Vees crease.
Vees Leading Scorers:
Jay O’Brien (15-32-47)
Danny Weight (15-23-38)
Lukas Sillinger (13-24-37)
David Silye (12-24-36)
Colton Kalezic (11-15-26)
A three-point night from Vees captain David Silye catapulted Penticton to a three-goal victory over their Interior Division rivals, the Vernon Vipers, on Saturday night. The Clarkson University commit sits 4th in Vees scoring with 12 goals and 36 assists while playing in each of the team’s 37 games this season. The Arnprior, Ontario native will suit up in his 198th regular season BC Hockey League game tonight, having registered 51 goals and 106 assists for 157 points in that span.
With points in five of his last seven games, forward Lukas Sillinger has been a consistent source of offence for Penticton. The University of Nebraska-Omaha commit has tallied two goals and five assists for seven points over that span while chipping in with a goal and an assist in Saturday night’s triumph over the Vipers. The Regina, Saskatchewan native has registered 13 goals this season, sitting one off of his pace from a season ago.
The Vees will be seeing double on Friday night as a pair of Niedermayers will dress for Penticton. Vees forward Jackson Niedermayer will be joined by brother Joshua, who will make his BCHL debut on the blue line. The younger Niedermayer checks in at 5’11” and 203 pounds and plays his hockey at the Okanagan Hockey Academy with the Midget Prep team. The Penticton, BC native has registered 6 goals and 9 assists for 15 points in 20 games from the back end.
The Powell River Kings enter Friday night’s contest in the midst of a four-game road trip that has seen a win and a loss with their latest game being a 6-1 victory over the Merritt Centennials on Wednesday night at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Jack Long, Nic Porchetta, Levi Glasman, Jacob Badal, Jack Brackett and Jacob Slipec each found the back of the net in the win while Derek Krall turned aside 33 of the 34 shots he faced in between the pipes for his 14th win of the season.
Kings Leading Scorers:
Brett Roloson (11-15-26)
Reilly Moran (14-11-25)
Levi Glasman (12-10-22)
Michael Abgrall (7-15-22)
Jack Brackett (8-13-21)
Collecting his seventh multi-point game in Wednesday night’s win in Merritt, Kings forward Jack Brackett has had an abundance of two-plus point performances over the last handful of matchups. The Renesselaer Polytechnic Institute commit has tallied multi-point efforts in four of his last six games, collecting five goals and four assists for nine points over that span, including a goal and an assist in the midweek matchup against the Centennials.
A familiar face makes his return to the South Okanagan Events Centre as former Vees netminder Derek Krall will get the nod in goal for the Kings on Friday night. The Nanaimo, BC native has won four of his last five starts, allowing a single goal in each of the four victories and has posted a .919 save percentage as a member of the Kings.
Powell River is currently in the midst of a four-game road trip that takes them to Wenatchee on Saturday night to finish up their pre-Christmas schedule. The Kings, like the Vees, are one of five teams in the BCHL to have eclipsed 20 or more game mark while away from home, having played 20 games on the road and amassing an 8-10-2-0 record during that span.
The Vees and Kings play the second of their two-game season series from the South Okanagan Events Centre tonight. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM with tickets available at the Valley First Box Office as well as online at ValleyFirstTix.com.
