PENTICTON, BC- The Penticton Vees win streak is at a dozen games and counting after their 10-0 thumping of the Merritt Centennials, Saturday at the SOEC.
The Vees (47-3-0-1) swept the seven game season series, outscoring Merritt 55-10 in those seven games. It also was the third time Penticton has shutout the Centennials this season.
Aydar Suniev scored a hat-trick to pace the attack. It was his third hat-trick this season. Nic DeGraves had four points (2G, 2A). Hiroki Gojsic had a pair of goals. Seven players in the Vees’ lineup had two or more points. 14 Vees picked up a point in the lopsided win.
Goaltender Hank Levy improved his perfect record to 13-0 after stopping all 14 shots he faced in the Penticton crease. He earned his third shutout of the season.
For the second straight night the Vees scored four power play goals and finished with 16 against Merritt in seven games.
A night after setting a new season-high with 70 shots, Penticton one-upped themselves, firing 71 shots Saturday at the Centennials’ net.
Despite outshooting the Cents’ 27-5 in the opening frame, the Vees led just 1-0 after 20 minutes, due in large part to Merritt goaltender Connor Sullivan. The one shot that got by him was DeGraves’ power play goal two minutes into the game.
Penticton’s offence kicked into high gear in the second period, as they scored a season-high seven goals on 31 shots. Their previous best in the second was four. Three of the Vees’ four goals in the second came on the power play. Gojsic and Suniev each scored twice in the middle frame, as Penticton led 8-0 after 40 minutes. They outshot Merritt 31-0 in the middle stanza.
Things got chippy in the second period as Merritt was handed two major penalties. Aidan Lindblad was given a blow to the head match penalty and Erik Sollied was assessed a blow to the head major penalty and a game misconduct. The middle frame also saw the Vees’ Mason Poolman and the Cents’ Mark Thurston drop the gloves.
Penticton tacked on two more goals in the third from Suniev and Thomas Pichette. Suniev scored his hat-trick goal on a breakaway with under two minutes left.
GAME NOTES
Bradly Nadeau, Brett Moravec, and Jackson Nieuwendyk all played in their 100th career regular season game Saturday. Penticton outshot Nanaimo and Merritt a combined 141-32 over the weekend. Suniev extended his point streak to 14 games with his hat-trick. He has 30 points (17G, 13A) during his streak.
GAME STATS
Final Score: 10-0, Vees
Shots: 71-14, Vees
Vees Scoring: Suniev (3), DeGraves (2), Gojsic (2), B. Nadeau, Hopkins, Pichette
Vees PP: 4/8
Vees PK: 2/2
Three Stars:
- Nic DeGraves
- Hiroki Gojsic
- Ryan Hopkins
Attendance: 2,795
Next Game: Wednesday, March 22nd, at Salmon Arm, 6:00 pm
