PHOTO: Garrett James/BCHL
The Penticton Vees (18-5-1-0) return back to home ice tonight as they are set to entertain the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (18-5-1-0) for the first time this season in a battle for top spot in the Interior Division on Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE vs. SALMON ARM
Wednesday, October 16th @ Shaw Centre (5-2 Silverbacks) (BOXSCORE)
Wednesday, November 13th @ Shaw Centre (4-3 Silverbacks) (BOXSCORE)
Friday, November 15th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (7:00 PM)
Friday, January 3rd @ Shaw Centre (7:00 PM)
Saturday, January 18th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (6:00 PM)
Friday, February 7th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (7:00 PM)
The Vees come into Friday night’s matchup looking to avenge Wednesday night’s defeat to the Silverbacks in Salmon Arm by a 4-3 score at the Shaw Centre. Goals from Danny Weight, David Silye and Lukas Sillinger just weren’t enough for the Vees, despite firing 35 shots on goal. Carl Stankowski turned aside 16 of the 20 shots he faced in his first loss of the season between the pipes.
Vees Leading Scorers:
Jay O’Brien (14-21-35)
Danny Weight (11-19-30)
Lukas Sillinger (10-15-25)
David Silye (7-18-25)
Liam Malmquist (7-11-18)
There will be a new face in the Vees lineup for tonight’s game as 19-year-old Darwin Lakoduk suits up as a Vee for the first time. Penticton acquired the 5’10”, 180-pound forward from the Victoria Grizzlies on Tuesday in exchange for Vincent Nardone. The Edmonton, Alberta native is in his second season in the BC Hockey League, posting 5 goals and 7 assists for 12 points over 25 games this season.
With points in six of his last seven games, Vees forward Danny Weight has been a solid source of offence for Penticton over the last stretch of games and all season long. The Boston College commit has tallied 3 goals and 9 assists for 12 points over that seven-game span including multi-point affairs in four of those seven contests. The Lattingtown, New York native has scored in back-to-back games, both coming on the power play, to lead the Vees in power play markers with 6.
Scoring on the power play has been a key to the Vees success and have done so in abundance over the course of the last two games. Penticton has registered five goals on the man advantage over the last 120 minutes of play, including three on Wednesday night in Salmon Arm, going 3-for-8 on the power play against the Silverbacks and has the Vees ranked 8th in the league in power play percentage at 19.5%.
The Silverbacks come into Friday night’s matchup tied with the Vees for top spot in the Interior Division after their 4-3 victory against Penticton on Wednesday at the Shaw Centre. Sam Schofield, Daniel Rybarik and Nick Martino scored in the opening two periods before Coalson Wolford scored the winning goal on the power play in the 3rd period. Ethan Langenegger stopped 32 of the 35 shots in his 11th victory in the Silverbacks crease.
Silverbacks Leading Scorers:
Akito Hirose (4-25-29)
Noah Wakeford (10-18-28)
Daniel Rybarik (15-8-23)
William Poirier (9-14-23)
Nick Unruh (7-11-18)
Akito Hirose extended his lengthy point streak to 12 games with an assist on Wednesday night in the Silverbacks 4-3 win. The University of Minnesota-Mankato commit has registered 2 goals and 15 assists for 17 points in those 12 games while leading the Silverbacks in points with 29 through his team’s 24 contests. The Calgary, Alberta native is three points shy of his career high from the back end, tallying 32 points during the 2017/18 campaign.
Silverbacks forward Daniel Rybarik has tallied in back-to-back games and currently sits in 2nd in the BCHL in terms of goal scoring with 15 markers on the season. The Calgary, Alberta native has registered six goals in his last seven games and has had a strong season against the Vees, scoring three goals in two games against Penticton.
The Vees and Silverbacks play the third of their six-game season series and the first in Penticton on Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM with tickets available for purchase at the SOEC Box Office as well as online at ValleyFirstTix.com.
