Photo: Garrett James Photography
WENATCHEE, WA- The Penticton Vees win streak has hit 11 after their 4-2 win over the Wenatchee Wild at the Toyota Town Center.
With the victory Saturday, the Vees have tied their best start under President, General Manager & Head Coach Fred Harbinson. The Vees won their first 11 games during the 2019-20 season.
It was another strong start for the Vees, as they got a pair of first period goals from Josh Nadeau and Hiroki Gojsic. Nadeau, celebrating his 19th birthday Saturday, finished with three points. Younger brother Bradly had a pair of points and defenceman Ryan Hopkins had three assists.
Luca Di Pasquo picked up his eighth win of the season, as he turned aside 30 of 32 shots in the Penticton net.
The power play was clicking Saturday, as the Vees scored twice on four chances. The penalty kill was two for three.
The birthday boy opened the scoring on the Vees’ first power play of the game. Josh Nadeau picked the corner from the face-off circle at 8:41 of the first for his fifth goal of the season.
Gojsic made it 2-0 for the visitors late in the opening frame, after he scored from nearly the same spot as Nadeau. Gojsic found daylight between the post and the Wild goaltender, as he fired a dart upstairs for his third at 18:21.
Nadeau will do that to you 🫰 pic.twitter.com/ct7UFt7Y69
— Penticton Vees (@PentictonVees) October 23, 2022
Bradly Nadeau added to the Vees lead in the second period with a great individual effort. Bradly picked up puck just inside his blueline and took off up the middle. The 17-year-old blew by several defenders, before turning a Wild defenceman inside out, and finished off the rush by going upstairs over the goalie’s glove at with just 56 seconds left in the period. For Bradly it was his team-leading 10th goal.
Wenatchee scored a pair of goals in the third period, that bookended a Jackson Nieuwendyk tally. The Wild’s Cade Littler made it 3-1 at 8:37, but Nieuwendyk got that goal back on another Vees’ power play late in regulation.
Nieuwendyk tipped Hopkins’ point shot past Wild goaltender Andy Vlaha for his sixth at 16:10 to restore the Vees three-goal lead.
The Wild did get one back just before buzzer sounded. Weilandt scored on a Wenatchee power play officially at 19:59 to make it 4-2. The puck was ruled to just cross the goal line before time expired.
GAME NOTES
Aydar Suniev (visa), Ethan Mann (injured) and Derek Sparks were scratched. Penticton improved their road record to 6-0-0-0. The Vees have scored 69 goals through their first 11 games.
GAME STATS
Final Score: 4-2, Vees
Vees Scoring: J. Nadeau, Gojsic, B. Nadeau, Nieuwendyk
Shots: 48-32, Vees
Vees PP: 2/4
Vees PK: 2/3
Three Stars
- Bradly Nadeau (Vees)
- Ryan Hopkins (Vees)
- Luke Weilandt (Wild)
Next Game: Penticton (11-0-0-0) returns home Wednesday, October 29th, as they host the Cranbrook Bucks at the SOEC; puck drop is 6:30 pm. Tickets are available at the Valley First box office at the SOEC, or online at www.valleyfirsttix.com
