PHOTO: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography
PENTICTON, B.C. – The Penticton Vees capped off an impressive regular season with a 10-2 victory over the Merritt Centennials on Sunday evening at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The Vees kicked off a 27-shot opening period with Brett Moravec finding the back of the net for his 21st goal of the season on the power play. Luc Wilson made a pass to the slot as Moravec tipped the puck through the blocker side of Centennials goaltender Jackson Baker at the 11:07 mark of the opening period to give Penticton a 1-0 advantage.
Aydar Suniev added to the Vees lead at the 18:09 mark of the opening frame to give Penticton a 2-0 advantage. Moravec sent a puck to the front of the goal as Suniev took a rebound and beat Baker on the blocker side for his 9th goal of the season and a two-goal lead heading into the 2nd period.
Bradly Nadeau pushed the Vees lead to 3-0 early into the 2nd period with a snap shot from the left face-off circle for his 19th goal of the season. Bradly made his way down the left wing off the rush and zipped a shot over the blocker shoulder of Baker to increase the lead to three goals in the middle frame.
The Centennials made their way back into the game at the 9:28 mark of the middle frame as Sam Ward intercepted a pass inside the left point and sent a shot over the right shoulder of Vees goaltender Carter Serhyenko to give Merritt life in the game at 3-1.
Josh Olson found his way to the back of the net as the Centennials got the game back within a goal at the 10:55 mark of the 2nd period with a shorthanded tally. Taking advantage of a Vees turnover, Olson walked in alone down the right-wing side as he slid a puck through the legs of Serhyenko as the 20-year-old picked up his 1st goal of the season.
For the first time since the 2015/16 season, the Vees have a 40-goal scorer as Josh Nadeau buried his 40th marker of the season on the man advantage to get ahead by a 4-2 score. A cross-ice pass from the right wing to the left face-off circle as Josh pounded a one-time shot past the blocker side of Baker at the 12:14 mark of the middle stanza for a two-goal lead once more.
His brother Bradly followed suit with a power play goal at the 17:52 mark of the 2nd period as he scored a one-time goal inside the left point for his 20th goal of the season and a 5-2 advantage. Josh set up Bradly with a pass through the middle and at the left point as he hammered the puck past the blocker side of Baker to make it a three-goal game.
Spencer Smith gave Penticton a four-goal lead with just over a minute remaining in the 2nd period on a rebound and a first came from the goal as affiliate player Payton McDonald-Corea tallied his first career BC Hockey League point on the marker. McDonald-Corea sent a puck to the net with the rebound pushed past the blocker side of Baker for his 11th goal of the season and a 6-2 Vees lead.
The Vees came in waves in the 3rd period with a four-goal frame to finish off the regular season and began with the 29th goal of the season for the Vees forward and a 7-2 lead as he buried a 2-on-1 as he took a pass from Josh Nadeau and fed Wilson with a one-time shot past the glove of Baker and gave the Vees a five-goal lead.
Casey McDonald was the next to find a milestone marker with his 20th goal of the season as he zipped a shot past the blocker side of Baker at the 3:38 mark to make it 8-2 before a misplay by Baker as he stepped out of his net to field a dump in that went off of his left leg and into the net as Ethan Mann was credited with his 14th goal of the season and a 9-2 lead at the 5:54 mark of the 3rd period.
Moravec tallied his second goal of the game as the Vees hit double digits at the 6:14 mark of the 3rd period and made it a 10-2 game for the final score. Carter Serhyenko turned aside 15 of the 17 shots thrown his way in his 10th win of the season while Jackson Baker made 55 saves on 65 shots in his 11th loss of the season while John Hicks came on in relief to make 8 saves on 8 shots.
FINAL SCORE: 10-2 Vees
SHOTS ON GOAL: 73-17 Vees
VEES PP: 3/7
VEES PK: 3/3
3 STARS:
1) Luc Wilson (1-3-4)
2) Casey McDonald (1-0-1)
3) Adam Eisele (0-1-1)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game: Payton McDonald-Corea (0-2-2)
Attendance: 2,578
The Vees also handed out their team awards on Sunday following the game as the winners were as follows:
Lang Vineyards Unsung Hero – #23 Frank Djurasevic
Sherwood Signs and Graphics Most Improved Player – #14 Beanie Richter
Murray GM Best Conditioned Athlete – #10 Mason Poolman
Canadian Tire Robert Skinner Courage Award – #1 Colin Purcell
Tim Hortons Most Inspirational Award – #67 Casey McDonald
Gateway Casinos Humanitarian Award – #25 Jackson Nieuwendyk
Grizzly Excavating Most Sportsmanlike Award – #26 Josh Niedermayer
Home Hardware Academic Award – #14 Beanie Richter
Chamberlain Property Group Vees on Vees Most Popular Player – #61 Spencer Smith
Elliott Row 4Her 4Him Fan Favourite – #61 Spencer Smith
GameTime Sports Leading Scorer – #22 Luc Wilson
Penticton Alumni Hockey Club Best Defenceman – #44 Grayson Arnott
BC Hockey Hall of Fame Rookie of the Year – #82 Bradly Nadeau
Making Cents Bookkeeping MVP Award – #20 Josh Nadeau
The Vees are onto the playoffs as they open up the first round of the postseason against the Trail Smoke Eaters beginning on Thursday, March 31st with Game #1 of the Interior Division Quarter Final. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM at the South Okanagan Events Centre with tickets available for purchase at the Valley First Box Office at the SOEC as well as online at valleyfirsttix.com.
