Photo: Cherie Morgan
PENTICTON, B.C. – The Penticton Vees picked up their first win of the BCHL preseason, edging the Vernon Vipers 2-1, Saturday at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Max Heise scored the game-winner with just 49 seconds left in regulation, as his bank shot broke a 1-1 deadlock. His pass from behind the net deflected off not one, but two players before trickling in.
Landon Wright scored the Vees’ other goal, four minutes into the second period, that tied the game 1-1. Wright took a cross-ice pass from Matthew Biotti and fired a wrist shot underneath the glove of the Vipers’ goaltender.
The Vees were down 1-0 after 20 minutes, despite outshooting the Vipers 17-5 in the opening frame. Vernon’s Shea Busch got the visitors on the scoresheet first, as he put a backhanded deke past Penticton’s Sharky Nowek at 15:47.
Nowek, who celebrated his 18th birthday Saturday, was the game’s first star after he stopped 14 o 15 shots.
His counterpart, Marko Bilic, was excellent in the Vernon crease, as he stopped 40 of 42 shots and was named the second star.
Neither team scored a power play goal, Saturday, as the Vees were 0-6 on the man advantage.
Returning players Matthew Biotti, Conyr Hellyer, and Anselmo Rego played Saturday, after sitting out Friday’s game in Trail.
GAME STATS
Shots: Vees- 42 Vipers- 15
Scoring: Landon Wright, Max Heise
Goaltending: Sharky Nowek (W)- 60:00, 14/15
Vees Power-Play: 0/6
Vees Penalty-Kill: 2/2
Three Stars:
1) Sharky Nowek
2) Marko Bilic (VER)
3) Landon Wright
Up Next: The Vees (1-1-0-0) continue their preseason schedule when they visit the West Kelowna Warriors (1-1-0-0) Friday, September 13th, at Royal LePage Place; puck drop 7:00 pm.
