Game 2: Sunday, April 6th, Okotoks 0 at Penticton 5
Game 3: Tuesday, April 8th, Penticton 6 at Okotoks 3
Game 4: Wednesday, April 9th, Penticton at Okotoks, 7:00 pm MDT
Game 5: Saturday, April 12th, Okotoks at Penticton, 7:00 pm PDT*
Game 6: Sunday, April 13th, Penticton at Okotoks, 7:00 pm MDT*
Game 7: Tuesday, April 15th, Okotoks at Penticton, 7:00 pm PDT*
*If necessary
Penticton Vees
President, General Manager & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
Playoff Record: 3-0
Home: 2-0
Away: 1-0
GF: 15
GA: 3
Power Play: (4/14) 28.6% 6th BCHL
Penalty Kill: (8/8) 100%, 1st BCHL
Scoring Leader: Max Heise (2-3-5)
The Penticton Vees are one win away from advancing to the second round of the BCHL Playoffs. Tonight, with a win, the Vees would sweep the Okotoks Oilers in their best-of-seven Interior Conference Quarterfinal series. Last night, Penticton beat the Oilers 6-3 in Game Three, as they lead the series 3-0.
Local product Max Heise had a big night, as he finished with a game high four points (1G, 3A). The Calgary, AB, native opened the scoring in the first and was named the first star.
Louie Wehmann, Caton Ryan, Simon Meier, Luke Posthumus, and Matthew Biotti also scored for Penticton. Ben Merrill had two assists in the win.
Will Ingemann picked up his second win of the series, as he stopped 17 of 20 shots. Ingemann conceded his first goal of the series late in the second, as the Vees’ shutout streak to start the series ended at just under 137 minutes. Wednesday, the BCHL named Ingemann one of the league’s three finalists for the Michael Garteig Trophy as the BCHL’s top goaltender.
Vees’ Head Coach Fred Harbinson is a finalist for the Joe Tennant Memorial Trophy as the BCHL’s Coach of the Year, and defenceman Nolan Stevenson is a finalist for the Top Defencemen Award.
Tonight, the Vees are without forward Matthew Cataldo has he is suspended for one game after his minor penalty and a misconduct for Checking from Behind was increased to a major penalty and a game misconduct, upon review. Penticton will dress 12 forwards and six defencemen. George Stavrianeas will slide into Cataldo’s spot on a line with Ben Merrill and Louie Wehmann.
Goaltender Ethan Buenaventura will make his second start in goal in the series. The 20-year-old is 1-0 and is coming off a 14-save shutout in Game Two.
Okotoks Oilers
General Manager & Head Coach: Tyler Deis
Playoff Record: 0-3
Home: 0-1
Away: 0-2
GF: 3
GA: 15
Power Play: (0/8) 0.0%, 15th BCHL
Penalty Kill: (7/8) 71.4%, 12th BCHL
Scoring Leader: Michael Kowalski (2-0-2)
The Okotoks Oilers need a win to stave off elimination. Okotoks needs a win in Game Four to extend this series to a Game Five, which would be back in Penticton on Saturday.
The Oilers did score their first three goals of the series in Game Three, as they snapped a 136 minute shutout streak to start the series. Captain Jackson Rowland scored their first goal of the series late in the second period, before Michael Kowalski scored back-to-back goals.
The start was problematic for the Oilers last night, as the Vees scored twice in the opening five minutes, which forced Oilers’ Head Coach Tyler Deis to burn his timeout. Penticton outshot Okotoks 17-5 in the opening frame.
Jamie Hikida is suspended one game after his major penalty and a game misconduct for Cross Checking was changed to Boarding, upon review. The Oilers were missing veteran forward Spencer Rheaume last night and his status for Game Four remains unclear.
Goaltender Olivier Ciarlo has faced a heavy workload in each of the first three games of the series, as the Vees are averaging 38 shots per game. Ciarlo has done his part, now he needs the run support to take this series back to Penticton.
Author: Fraser Rodgers
Photo: Chad Goddard
