Photo: Jack Murray
Trail, BC – The Penticton Vees 18-game point streak came to an end on Saturday, with their 4-1 loss to the Trail Smoke Eaters at Cominco Arena in Trail. Saturday was their first loss in regulation since November 22nd.
It also marked just the second time this season and first since November 5th the Vees have lost back-to-back games, after their 3-2 overtime loss Friday to Vernon.
“Kudos to Trail, they’re a very good team. It’s a game of opportunities and they made the most of their chances and we had some bounces go against too. We hit some posts, but we needed a bit more grit in our game, especially around the net,” said Assistant Coach Matthew Vanden Berg post-game.
It was a marquee matchup in the West Kootenays, as the two top teams in the Interior Conference squared off, but it was Trail extending their franchise record win streak to 13 games. With the win, the Smoke Eaters are now just two points back of the Vees for top spot in the BCHL.
Pretty passing from the Vees and Caton Ryan buries it!
🎙️ @Fraser_Vees #BCHL | @PentictonVees pic.twitter.com/Dtrk9IVbeh
— BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague) February 9, 2025
The Vees got out to a good start, as Caton Ryan opened the scoring just before the six minute mark, as Penticton went ahead 1-0 at 5:42. Ryan scored after Brock Reinhart found him streaking down the middle. It was a nice play off the rush that was started by Max Heise.
The first period was Penticton’s best, as they outshot the Smokies 12-6 but were unable to add to their lead. In fact, their lead last only five minutes, as Trail tied the game midway through the opening frame.
Christian Kim made it 1-1at 10:56 after he found himself alone at the side of the goal with an open cage. Kim originally swung and missed on his first chance, but the puck was dished back to him by Zach Coutu for the tap in.
Penticton had a couple bad breaks go against them in the second that resulted in the Smoke Eaters going up 3-1 through two periods. First, Vees’ goaltender Ethan Buenaventura misplayed the puck behind the net and Trail’s Josh Wiebe capitalized on the error with his fourth at 3:49 that put the Smokies ahead 2-1. Then, on the penalty kill, Brock Reinhart put the puck into his own net after he tried to clear it out of the crease. Dylan Lariviere was credited with his ninth at 16:59 that extended Trail’s lead to 3-1.
The Vees had a great opportunity to get back into the game in the final minute of the second. During a Vees’ penalty kill, Matthew Cataldo was taken down and awarded a penalty shot. Unfortunately, his shot rang off the crossbar and stayed out.
Things did get heated at the tail end of the second as Vees captain Conyr Hellyer and Trail defenceman Drew Anastasio were given five-minute fighting majors.
Kim sealed the win for Trail in the third with his second goal of the game into an empty net at 17:51.
GAME NOTES
Saturday marked the first time this season the Vees lost in regulation when scoring first. They are now 17-1-2-0. Caton Ryan now has five points (2G, 3A) in his last four games. Saturday was goaltender Ethan Buenaventura’s first regulation loss since joining the Vees in mid-November. He’s now 9-1-1-0 in 11 games.
GAME STATS
Shots: Vees- 27 Smoke Eaters- 22
Scoring: Caton Ryan (6th)
Goaltending: Ethan Buenaventura (L), 59:26, 18/21
Vees Power Play: 0/2
Vees Penalty Kill: 3/4
Three Stars:
1) Teagan Kendrick (26 SVS)
2) Gryphon Bucci (2A)
3) Christian Kim (2G)
Up Next: Friday, February 14, vs. Trail Smoke Eaters, 7:00 pm, SOEC.
