The Penticton Vees (8-1-0-0) look for a Thanksgiving weekend sweep of the Merritt Centennials (5-4-1-0) tonight at Nicola Valley Memoria Arena in Merritt. The Vees won their sixth straight Friday, beating the Cents’ 5-1 at the SOEC for their second win at home in as many games.
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It was the rookies that led the way with Grant Cruikshank, Turner Ripplinger, Ty Amonte and Ty Barnstable scoring four of the Vees’ five goals. Ripplinger (second period) and Barnstable (third period) scored their first career BCHL goals. 20-year-old Ryley Risling scored as well.
A win tonight by the Vees would be their seventh in a row and they’d be just the second team in the BCHL to hit that mark. The Powell River Kings have won seven in a row and are going for their eighth straight win against Nanaimo tonight.
The Vees come into tonight’s game with a four-point lead on second place Vernon, who leapfrogged Merritt after picking up a point in an overtime loss to Surrey Friday. Merritt now sits in third, just one point up on the West Kelowna Warriors.
Penticton will ice the same line-up, with the one exception coming in goal. Nolan Hildebrand will make his third start of the season and has one win under his belt already. Hildebrand started against Prince George back on September 23rd but was replaced by Mat Robson. The 18-year-old rookie will be motivated to have a bounce-back performance tonight.
Gabe Bast and Jacob Kamps remain on the self with injuries and the Vees will dress 11 forwards and seven defencemen.
Home hasn’t been all that kind to the Cents’ if you go as far back as to last season. They’ve split their first two games at the old barn, and Head Coach Joe Martin pointed to their home record needing to be much better this season if they’re going to be a top four team in the Interior. Last season the Cent’s had the fewest wins at home and were tied for the worst home winning percentage in the division. Tonight won’t get any easier.
The Vees own the league’s best road record at 5-1-0-0 and have won their last three road games (one being at the Showcase).
Tonight is the first of four games in Merritt in the seven-game season series between the two teams. Last season the two teams split the four games in Merritt. Face-off is 7 pm and fans can listen to the game with Fraser Rodgers and Scott Austin on EZ Rock AM 800, or they can watch on www.HockeyTV.com
