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GAME RECAP: Five Different Goal Scorers Factor Into Vees 5-1 Victory Over Smoke Eaters

PHOTO: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography

PENTICTON, B.C. – The Penticton Vees used a complete performance with five different goal scorers factoring in to a 5-1 victory over the Trail Smoke Eaters on Saturday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

The Vees opened the game with good jump as well as strong goaltending from Carl Stankowski, who made saves on all 8 shots he faced in the opening period including thwarting off a Trail power play in the early going to help the Vees get ahead in the game and take a 1-0 lead at the 7:06 mark of the 1st period.

Carson Kosobud passed from the left-wing half board and spotted an open Liam Malmquist as he took the pass and made his way down the right-wing side to the top of the right face-off circle and let a shot go through the blocker side of Smoke Eaters goaltender Logan Terness for his 14th goal of the season and a 1-0 lead for Penticton.

Stankowski kept the game in the Vees favour moments later on a penalty kill after a point shot from Powell Connor was stopped by the Vees netminder with the rebound being pulled from the crease by the stick of the Vees goaltender to keep the game at 1-0.

As the period went along, the Vees continued to push the pace and extended their lead to a 2-0 advantage with 1:31 remaining in the opening frame. Tyler Ho began the play by chipping the puck in and working on the forecheck before Colton Kalezic spun and put a shot on from the left face-off circle with Terness making the initial save before Tristan Amonte pounced on the rebound and beat the Smoke Eaters goaltender past the blocker side for his 13th goal of the season and a two-goal lead into the 2nd period.

Stankowski remained solid in the Vees crease through the middle stanza, turning aside each of the 8 shots he faced again in the 2nd period with Penticton forcing 10 pucks on goal and finding the back of the net in the final minute of play in the period to extend their lead to 3-0.

Lukas Sillinger made a neat chip pass from the left wing at the blue line to lead a pass ahead for Jackson Niedermayer, who stepped into the left face-off circle and snapped a shot past the glove side of Terness for his 17th goal of the season and a 3-0 lead late in the frame with just 19 seconds remaining.

Tyler Ho added to the Vees lead in the opening moments of the 3rd period on a Smoke Eaters turnover in the offensive end. Ozar’s pass for Kyle Pow skipped over his stick at the right point, allowing Ho to race down the loose puck on a 2-on-1 rush. The Vees forward laced a shot past the glove side of Terness for his 10th marker of the season at the 2:47 mark of the final period to give the Vees a 4-0 advantage.

Trail found the back of the net and broke the shutout bid of Stankowski late in the 3rd frame at the 16:35 mark as Matt Osadick tipped in a shot from Braden Costello at the front of the net to make the score 4-1.

35 seconds later, Danny Weight restored the Vees four-goal lead with his team-leading 19th goal of the season. Jack Barnes stripped the puck away in the left face-off circle and fed a pass to the goal line where Weight sniped a shot underneath the crossbar and over the blocker shoulder of Terness for the 5-1 lead at the 17:02 mark, which held up as the final score.

Carl Stankowski turned aside 17 of the 18 shots he faced in his 9th win of the season in the crease for the Vees while Logan Terness stopped 32 of the 37 shots thrown his way in his 8th loss of the year.

FINAL SCORE: 5-1 Vees

SHOTS ON GOAL: 32-18 Vees

VEES PP: 0/4

VEES PK: 4/4

3 STARS:

1) Liam Malmquist (1-0-1)

2) Tyler Ho (1-0-1)

3) Carl Stankowski (17 saves on 18 shots)

Fortis Energy Player of the Game: Colton Kalezic

Attendance: 3,301

The Vees (32-11-1-1) will wrap up their play in the North Okanagan with their final trip of the season to Kal Tire Place to face-off against the Vernon Vipers (22-17-1-1) on Wednesday night. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM with the game broadcasted live on EZ Rock AM 800 as well as on HockeyTV.com beginning with the pre-game show at 6:40 PM with the Voice of the Vees, Trevor Miller.