DUNCAN, B.C. – The Penticton Vees used an 18-save shutout from Yaniv Perets to help them to their fifth straight victory to begin the season with a 6-0 win over the Cowichan Valley Capitals on Saturday night at the Cowichan Community Centre.
The first period was a quick one as both teams came out with plenty of energy with each netminder having to be strong off the hop, including Yaniv Perets in the Vees cage as he turned aside a backdoor pass late in the Vees first penalty kill to keep the score even at 0-0 under five minutes into play.
Penticton started to gain momentum late in the period, taking an advantage on the shot clock and opened the scoring as well at the 17:43 mark of the 1st period. Lukas Sillinger spun around a check at the blue line and left the puck ahead for Tristan Amonte as the Vees forward gathered a snapped a shot past the glove side of Capitals goaltender Zach Borgiel for his 4th goal of the season to take a 1-0 lead late in the frame.
The Vees came out of the gates early and often in the 2nd period, dominating play to the tune of a 20-6 shot advantage in the middle of the frame and taking a 2-0 lead at the 4:34 mark courtesy of Lukas Sillinger. Steve Holtz held the puck in at the right point as he fed a pass to the slot where Sillinger wristed a shot through the blocker shoulder of Borgiel with the puck trickling behind him past the goal line for his 1st goal of the season and a 2-0 Vees advantage.
The pressure continued from Penticton and led to their third goal of the game and taking a 3-0 advantage at the 12:20 mark of the middle stanza. Jay O’Brien started out of his own zone and carried the puck through the middle of the ice, cutting down the left wing before driving to the net where he led a pass for Alex DiPaolo in front of the goal as the Vees forward banged it in for his 2nd goal of the season and a 3-0 Penticton lead.
Jackson Niedermayer extended the Vees advantage to 4-0 at the 11:04 mark of the 3rd period with his first goal of the season. DiPaolo centered from the right corner as Niedermayer was able to knock the puck down and get a shot past the blocker side of Borgiel to push the Vees ahead by a 4-0 score.
The Vees added a pair of goals late in the period as the captain David Silye got on the board to give Penticton a 5-0 lead. Sillinger tipped an Amonte pass from the right side over the net from the slot before Silye gathered the puck on the left wing where he sent a shot from a sharp angle on the goal line past the glove side of Borgiel for his 2nd goal of the season to push the visitors ahead 5-0.
Penticton closed the scoring out with 1:50 remaining in the game as Jay O’Brien pushed the Vees ahead by a 6-0 score. Niedermayer spotted O’Brien in front of the net with a left-wing pass as O’Brien chipped it home from the top of the crease for his 4th goal of the season and a six-goal lead.
The clock winded down on the Vees fifth straight win to open the season, which was the first BCHL shutout for Yaniv Perets as he turned aside 18 shots in his 3rd win of the season. Zach Borgiel stopped 34 of the 41 shots he faced in his 1st loss of the season.
FINAL SCORE: 6-0 Vees
SHOTS ON GOAL: 41-18 Vees
VEES PP: 0/7
VEES PK: 3/3
3 STARS:
1) Lukas Sillinger (1-2-3)
2) Zach Borgiel (35 saves on 41 shots)
3) Yaniv Perets (18 save shutout)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game: Cole Broadhurst (0-0-0)
Attendance: 845
The Vees (5-0-0-0) finish off their two-game weekend on Vancouver Island with a Sunday matinee against the Nanaimo Clippers (2-2-0-1) at Frank Crane Arena. Puck drop is slated for 2:00 PM with the game broadcasted live on EZ Rock AM 800 as well as HockeyTV.com beginning with the pre-game show at 1:40 PM with the Voice of the Vees, Trevor Miller.
The Vees home opener is slated for Friday, September 27th against the West Kelowna Warriors. Contact Director of Ticketing & Merchandise Laura Carleton for more information on season tickets and watching the Vees live this season.
