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GAME PREVIEW: Vees Host Centennials To Begin Weekend On Home Ice

PHOTO: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography

The Penticton Vees (33-11-1-1) return to home ice for the first of two games at the South Okanagan Events Centre as they face-off against the Merritt Centennials (10-29-1-3) on Friday night.

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REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE VS. MERRITT

Friday, September 13th @ Nicola Valley Memorial Arena (7-3 Vees) (BOXSCORE)

Sunday, October 27th @ Nicola Valley Memorial Arena (4-1 Vees) (BOXSCORE)

Friday, November 29th @ Nicola Valley Memorial Arena (4-1 Vees) (BOXSCORE)

Saturday, November 30th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (5-0 Vees) (BOXSCORE)

Friday, January 17th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (7:00 PM)

Friday, January 24th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (7:00 PM)

Penticton will look to extend their winning ways to three straight games after earning a 2-1 overtime victory against the Vernon Vipers on Wednesday night at Kal Tire Place. David Silye scored in the 3rd period of regulation time to tie the game before Nico Somerville tallied his second goal as a Vee for the overtime victory. Yaniv Perets stopped 24 of the 26 shots thrown his way in his 19th win of the season.

The Vees have picked up victories in each of the four games of the season series, including a 5-0 shutout win over the Centennials in the teams’ last meeting in late November at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Colton Kalezic, Lukas Sillinger, David Silye, Jack Barnes and Jackson Niedermayer each scored in the game for the Vees while Yaniv Perets turned aside each of the 20 shots he faced for his 5th shutout of the season in the crease.

Vees Leading Scorers:

David Silye (18-31-49)

Jay O’Brien (15-33-48)

Lukas Sillinger (16-31-47)

Danny Weight (19-26-45)

Jackson Niedermayer (17-17-34)

Vees captain David Silye overtook the team scoring lead in Penticton’s win on Wednesday night, adding a goal and an assist in the 2-1 overtime defeat of the Vipers. The Clarkson University commit has scored in five of his last six games, tallying 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points in his last six games while collecting points in five of those contests. The Arnprior, Ontario native comes into the game sitting in 4th in BCHL scoring with his 18 goals and 49 points.

A familiar face with be making his return to the Vees lineup in tonight’s game as forward Drew Elser will play in his first game since November 24th, 2018. The Hopewell Junction, New York native amassed 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points in 14 games played last season with the Vees before suffering a season-ending injury. Elser has plenty of Junior ‘A’ experience, getting into 36 games with the Central Illinois Flying Aces of the United States Hockey League before his time in Penticton, collecting 8 goals and 8 assists for 16 points.

Playing in front of their home crowd has given the Vees a boost over the last month and a half of action with Penticton earning victories in seven of their last eight games at the South Okanagan Events Centre. During that span, the Vees have outscored their opposition by a 39-14 margin, including surrendering a single goal four times while earning a shutout in that span. The Vees will be comfortable on home ice down the stretch, playing 11 of their final 12 games at the SOEC.

The Merritt Centennials come into Friday night’s tilt looking to get back into a playoff spot, sitting three points out of contention after a 6-4 loss to the Trail Smoke Eaters on Tuesday night at the Trail Memorial Centre. Hunor Torzsok, Chase Nameth, Rylan Van Unen and Jerzy Orchard each found the back of the net in the game while Tanner Marshall turned aside 38 of the 43 shots he faced in his 16th loss of the season.

Centennials Scoring Leaders:

Christian Buono (9-21-30)

Payton Matsui (9-19-28)

Daniel Tkac (8-16-24)

Thomas Manty (8-14-22)

Rylan Van Unen (11-9-20)

The Centennials were represented on a national stage, of sorts, during the holiday break as forward Daniel Tkac suited up for the Slovakian national team at the World Junior Hockey Championships in the Czech Republic. The Presov, Slovakia native netted a goal and an assist for two points in five games at the WJC while putting up strong numbers in Merritt this season, posting 8 goals and 16 assists for 24 points in 30 games played.

Merritt will look to try and snap a seven-game losing streak, which has spanned from December 21st into tonight’s game. The Centennials have been outscored by a 37-19 margin over the course of those seven games while scoring 120 goals on the season, which ranks 15th in the BCHL. Merritt’s goal differential sits last in the league at -80 while they sit three points behind the West Kelowna Warriors for the BCHL’s final playoff spot.

The Vees and Centennials play the fifth of their six-game season series tonight at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM with tickets available for purchase at the Valley First Box Office as well as online at ValleyFirstTix.com.