PHOTO: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography
PENTICTON, B.C. – The Penticton Vees used a pair of four-point performances from Fin Williams and Luc Wilson while a 13-save shutout from Mason Dunsford helped the Vees to their 20th win of the season in a 6-0 triumph over the Vernon Vipers on Friday night at South Okanagan Events Centre.
After the Vipers collected the first two shots of the game, the Vees outshot their opponent by a 14-1 margin as the first 20 minutes of the game wore on and it was the Vees to break the ice in the 1st period courtesy of a power play marker from Luc Wilson.
The Vees forward took a pass from Bradly Nadeau in the left face-off circle on a tic-tac-toe passing play beginning with Grayson Arnott in the midpoint and zipping a wrist shot over the blocker shoulder of Vipers netminder Roan Clarke for his 14th goal of the season coming just 8 seconds into the power play at the 18:20 mark of the opening frame for a 1-0 Vees advantage.
Newcomer Mason Dunsford made his first start in the Vees net, turning aside each of the first three shots he faced in the opening 20 minutes of play and did not surrender any chances in front of him, holding onto pucks and not allowing any rebounds at the front of the net as the Vees went into the 2nd period ahead by a 1-0 margin.
The Vees exploded for four markers in the middle stanza of the game and it began with a power play goal from the Captain Fin Williams, becoming the 6th player to find the back of the net 10 or more times. Williams made his way down the right-wing and snapped a shot past the glove side of Clarke for his 10th goal of the season and gave the Vees a 2-0 advantage in the opening minute of the 2nd period on the power play.
Thomas Pichette pushed the Vees lead to 3-0 with a terrific shot from the bottom of the left face-off circle. Pichette gathered the puck in the dot and dragged to control the puck on his forehand and sliced a shot over the glove side of Clarke for his 5th goal of the season to get Penticton ahead by a three-goal margin at the 2:51 mark of the middle stanza.
Special teams was the name of the game for the Vees as they added a goal while down a skater with Stefano Bottini scoring his 1st shorthanded marker of the season to give Penticton a 4-0 advantage. Williams stripped the puck in the neutral zone from a Viper defender and broke in on a breakaway, making a move to his forehand that went off the post before Bottini plowed his way into the crease and slid home his 7th goal of the season at the 9:43 mark of the 2nd period to make it a 4-0 Vees lead.
The scoring in the middle frame concluded with Josh Nadeau picking up his team-leading 18th goal of the season and his team-leading 8th power play goal to give Penticton a 5-0 lead. Nadeau moved his way through the middle of the ice and got to the right face-off circle before slipping a puck past the glove side of Clarke at the 16:09 mark of the 2nd period and chased the Vipers netminder as Ethan David came on for the latter part of the middle period and the final frame.
The Captain found the back of the net once more to complete a four-point night with two goals and two assists for his 11th marker of the season. Owen Simpson sent a puck to the net from the left half boards that Williams redirected past the left pad of David for his second goal of the game at the 4:24 mark of the 3rd period and gave the Vees a 6-0 lead.
Mason Dunsford was rock solid in the Vees net, facing a total of 13 shots and, in his first BC Hockey League start, earned his first BCHL shutout with the strong effort while Roan Clarke stopped 23 of the 28 shots thrown his way in his 9th loss of the season before Ethan David came on for the final 23:51 and made 17 saves on 18 shots.
FINAL SCORE: 6-0 Vees
SHOTS ON GOAL: 46-13 Vees
VEES PP: 3/5
VEES PK: 3/3
3 STARS:
1) Fin Williams (2-2-4)
2) Luc Wilson (1-3-4)
3) Mason Dunsford (13-save shutout)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game: Bradly Nadeau (0-1-1)
Attendance: 3,169
The Vees (20-2-0-1) will finish off their pre-Christmas schedule in a matchup against the West Kelowna Warriors (15-9-0-0) on Saturday night at Royal LePage Place. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM with the game being broadcasted live on Bounce Radio 800 as well as BCHLTV.ca beginning with the pre-game show at 6:40 PM.
