The Penticton Vees extended their season-opening win streak to five games after a 6-0 win over the Merritt Centennials at the SOEC on Friday.
Bradly Nadeau and Aydar Suniev each had a pair of goals and Jackson Nieuwendyk and Ryan Hopkins also scored in the victory. Suniev finished with three points. Thomas Pichette, Dovar Tinling, Callum Arnott, and Frank Djurasevic each had two assists.
Hank Levy, who made his Vees regular season debut, picked up his first career shutout, stopping all 19 shots he faced.
Hayden Dunford started for the Centennials but was replaced by Johnny Hicks after he surrendered three goals on nine shots. Hicks stopped 46 of 49 shots the rest of the way.
Nieuwendyk opened the scoring six and a half minutes into the game and then Nadeau and Suniev scored 13-seconds apart to put Penticton up 3-0 eight minutes into the game. Nadeau made it 2-0 at 8:02, then Suniev banked the puck in at 8:15 to stretch the lead to three.
Penticton peppered the Merritt net with 26 shots in the middle frame and added three more goals. Suniev scored his second of the night at 2:35 to make it 4-0. Hopkins picked up his first of the season, when his shot from the blue line found the back of the net at 4:57 to make it 5-0. Nadeau scored his second of the game, on the power play, with just over a minute left in the middle frame. Nadeau ripped a one-timer past the Merritt goalie at 18:53.
The Vees clamped down in the third period as they held Merritt to just four shots over the final 20 minutes.
GAME NOTES
Bradly’s two goals vaulted him into the BCHL scoring lead with 11 points (4G, 8A), passing his brother Josh who sits second with 10 (3G, 7A). Suniev now has a share of the BCHL goal-scoring lead with six. Through five games, the Vees have outscored their opposition 36-6.
Prior to the game, there was a pre-game ceremony honouring the 2008 BCHL Champion Vees team. Eight former players made the trip to Penticton, including 2008 Captain Brett Hextall.
GAME STATS
Final Score: 6-0, Vees
Vees Scoring: Nadeau (2), Suniev (2), Nieuwendyk, Hopkins
Shots: 58-19, Vees
Vees PP: 1/7
Vees PK: 1/1
Three Stars
- Aydar Suniev
- Bradly Nadeau
- Hank Levy
Attendance: 2,719
Next Game: Penticton (5-0-0-0) continues their Thanksgiving weekend home stand against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (3-2-0-0) on Saturday; puck drop is 6:00 pm. Tickets are available online at www.valleyfirsttix.com or at the Valley First box office at the SOEC.
