PENTICTON, B.C. – The Penticton Vees used the second consecutive shutout from Yaniv Perets to help them to their seventh straight win to start the season, earning a 3-0 victory over the West Kelowna Warriors in their Home Opener at the South Okanagan Events Centre on Friday night.
For the sixth time in seven games, the Vees were first to find the back of the net at the 6:13 mark of the opening frame. Liam Malmquist spotted Vincent Nardone with a pass down the right side as Nardone sped down the wing and snapped a shot over the glove side of Warriors goaltender Brock Baier for his second goal of the season and a 1-0 Vees lead.
The shots in the opening frame were even at 8-8 as the Warriors used a 1st period power play to get a bit of pressure in the offensive zone but Vees goaltender Yaniv Perets stood tall in Penticton’s net to keep the Vees lead of 1-0 into the 2nd period.
Penticton doubled their lead as they started to see more extended time inside the West Kelowna zone and a power play was the source of their second goal of the game. Malmquist stopped inside the offensive blue line and sent a pass across on the right wing for Jackson Niedermayer, who collected in the right face-off circle and zipped a shot over the glove shoulder of Baier with seven seconds remaining on the power play for his 2nd goal of the season and a 2-0 lead.
Colton Kalezic extended the Vees advantage to three later in the period at the 13:53 mark. Evan McIntyre stepped inside the blue line at the left point and sent a shot to the West Kelowna goal which was redirected past the glove side of Baier for his second marker of the year and a 3-0 Vees lead heading into the 3rd period of play.
The Vees prevented the Warriors from getting much inside in the offensive end in the 3rd period, including a 1:39 5-on-3 penalty kill to begin the frame which the Vees were able to defend and hold their three-goal advantage.
Surrendering just five shots in the period, the Vees pushed their way to their seventh straight win to begin the season with a 3-0 shutout over the Warriors. Yaniv Perets turned aside all 21 of the shots he faced for his second consecutive shutout and his 4th win of the season while Brock Baier stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced in his 6th defeat of the year.
FINAL SCORE: 3-0 Vees
SHOTS ON GOAL: 30-21 Vees
VEES PP: 1/6
VEES PK: 4/4
3 STARS:
1) Yaniv Perets (21 saves on 21 shots)
2) Liam Malmquist (0-2-2)
3) Jackson Niedermayer (1-0-1)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game: David Silye (0-0-0)
Attendance: 3,368
The Vees (7-0-0-0) complete their home-and-home set with a trip to the Central Okanagan to take on the West Kelowna Warriors (1-6-2-0) on Saturday night. Puck drop is slated for 6:00 PM from Royal LePage Place with the game being broadcasted on EZ Rock AM 800 as well as HockeyTV.com beginning with the pre-game show at 5:40 PM with the Voice of the Vees, Trevor Miller.
The BCHL Showcase Festival presented by Bauer is coming to Penticton on October 4th and 5th. 8 games with 9 different teams will take place at the SOEC with game times set for 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM and two Vees games at 7:00 PM. Tickets are on sale now at the SOEC Box Office as well as valleyfirsttix.com and are on sale for as low as $10 a day for a day pass to all non-Vees games.
