PHOTO: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography
The Penticton Vees look to advance to the second round of the playoffs as the series shifts back to the South Okanagan Events Centre for Game #5 of the Interior Division Quarter Final on Wednesday night, holding a 3-1 series lead.
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE vs. WEST KELOWNA
Friday, September 27th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (3-0 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Saturday, September 28th @ Royal LePage Place (7-3 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Friday, December 6th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (5-1 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Saturday, December 7th @ Royal LePage Place (3-2 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Tuesday, January 21st @ Royal LePage Place (5-2 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Sunday, February 9th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (5-4 Vees/OT) (BOXSCORE)
PLAYOFF SCHEDULE vs. WEST KELOWNA
Game #1: Thursday, February 27th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (7-1 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Game #2: Friday, February 28th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (4-1 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Game #3: Sunday, March 1st @ Royal LePage Place (9-2 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Game #4: Tuesday, March 3rd @ Royal LePage Place (2-1 Warriors/OT) (BOXSCORE)
Game #5: Wednesday, March 4th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (7:00 PM)
*Game #6: Saturday, March 7th @ Royal LePage Place (7:00 PM)
*Game #7: Monday, March 9th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (7:00 PM)
*- If Necessary
The Vees will look to advance to the second round of the BC Hockey League playoffs after falling in a 2-1 overtime game on Tuesday night at Royal LePage Place. Lukas Sillinger scored the lone marker in the opening period for Penticton while Yaniv Perets was once again outstanding in the Vees crease, turning aside 35 of the 37 shots he faced in his 1st loss of the playoffs.
Vees Regular Season Leading Scorers:
Jay O’Brien (25-41-66)
David Silye (20-42-62)
Danny Weight (25-35-60)
Lukas Sillinger (22-37-59)
Jackson Niedermayer (23-22-45)
Vees Playoff Leading Scorers:
Jay O’Brien (5-3-8)
Danny Weight (4-2-6)
Colton Kalezic (1-5-6)
Liam Malmquist (2-3-5)
Jackson Niedermayer (1-4-5)
Another assist on Tuesday night in Game #4 helped Vees forward Jay O’Brien to points in each of the four games of the series. The 19th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers has scored 5 goals while adding 3 assists for 8 points in 4 playoff games to tie Nanaimo’s Josh Bourne for the league lead in points in the postseason. The Boston University commit finished the regular season with a ten-game point streak before adding points in each of the four postseason contests he’s played in, collecting 13 goals and 11 assists for 24 points over a 14-game span combined.
It was another good night for the Vees in the crease as Yaniv Perets remained solid in between the pipes, turning aside 35 of the 37 shots he faced in Game #4. The Quinnipiac University commit has surrendered just six goals in postseason play, posting a 1.48 goals against average and a .945 save percentage in the series thus far, ranking 4th in GAA amongst netminders in the playoffs and 4th in save percentage as well.
Penticton returns to home ice on Wednesday for Game #5 of the series, where they have been strong all season long, especially since the flip of the calendar. The Vees finished the regular season posting a 22-5-1-1 record while collecting 13 wins in a 14-game stretch at the South Okanagan Events Centre with the calendar turning to 2020. Penticton also registered wins in the opening two games of the series at home, outscoring West Kelowna by an 11-2 margin over the two contests.
The West Kelowna Warriors kept their season alive on Tuesday night at Royal LePage Place in picking up a 2-1 overtime victory over the Vees in Game #4 of the series. Ryan Novecosky scored in regulation before Tyler Cristall netted the overtime winner to extend the series to a fifth game. Johnny Derrick played a very strong game in the Warriors crease, pushing aside 38 of the 39 shots he faced in his first win of the postseason.
Warriors Regular Season Leading Scorers:
John Evans (22-28-50)
Tyler Cristall (16-25-41)
Carter Wilkie (12-21-33)
Nicolas Ardanaz (4-28-32)
Brendan Pigeon (9-17-26)
Warriors Playoff Leading Scorers:
Tyler Cristall (2-0-2)
John Evans (1-1-2)
Deegan Mofford (1-1-2)
Colby Elmer (0-2-2)
Ryan Novecosky (1-0-1)
Scoring the overtime winning goal on Tuesday night in Game #4, Warriors forward Tyler Cristall potted his second goal of the series to extend the Warriors season. The St. Lawrence University commit compiled 16 goals and adding 25 assists for 41 points in 53 games during his rookie campaign, placing 8th among rookie point getters. The Vancouver, BC native saw his offence increase after being acquired by West Kelowna in November, scoring 13 goals and 32 points in 33 games with the Warriors this season.
Making 38 saves on 39 shots, rookie goaltender Johnny Derrick was named the game’s first star on Tuesday night in Game #4. The regular season was a good one for the rookie goaltender, boasting a 3.30 goals against average and a .904 save percentage with two shutouts over the course of 38 games played. In four games against the Vees in the regular season, the Victoria, BC native posted a 3.58 goals against average and a .874 save percentage.
Game #5 between the Vees and Warriors gets underway with a 7:00 PM puck drop at the South Okanagan Events Centre tonight as Penticton looks to take the series with a 3-1 lead in the Interior Division Quarter Final. Tickets are available for purchase at the Valley First Box Office as well as online at ValleyFirstTix.com.
