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Game Recap: Vees shrug off slow start in Trail, push win streak to eight

Photo: Cherie Morgan

TRAIL, BC- The Penticton Vees overcame a slow start to post their eighth straight win, with their 7-2 victory against the Trail Smoke Eaters, Saturday at Cominco Arena.

The Vees (43-3-0-1) erased an early 2-0 deficit to sweep the five-game season series against the Smoke Eaters.

Josh Nadeau and Dovar Tinling each had three-point nights. Aydar Suniev followed up his hat-trick on Friday against Merritt with a two-goal outing Saturday in Trail.

Luca Di Pasquo earned win number 31 as he stopped 19 of 21 shots in the Vees’ crease. Saturday was his 11th straight appearance where he surrendered two or fewer goals against.

It was a scrappy effort off the start from a shorthanded Trail squad that was missing seven regulars due to injury or illness. Brady Hunter and Max Potvin scored in the first eight minutes to put the home side up 2-0.

Penticton responded with goals from Jackson Nieuwendyk (20) and Josh Nadeau (35) in the back half of the first period, as the two teams were tied 2-2 after 20 minutes.

Josh Niedermayer (4) scored 11 seconds into the second period to grab the Vees their first lead of the game and they never looked back. Suniev (36) added a power play marker midway through the second, as Penticton led by two after two.

The Vees fired 30 shots at the Trail net just in the middle frame alone, which is a new season high. Their previous mark for most shots in the middle frame was 26, set back on October 7th, versus Merritt.

Tinling (13) added to the Vees’ lead not even two minutes into the third period, as he scored at the top of the crease to make it 5-2. Then it was Bradly Nadeau (37) who finished off a great passing play between he and brother Josh 12 minutes into the third that stretched Penticton’s led to 6-2. Suniev (37) rounded out the scoring with his second of the night with just over three minutes left in regulation that made it 7-2.

GAME NOTES

The Vees 65 shots is a new season high, beating out their previous best of 60, which was set on Friday night in Merritt. Penticton scored 20 goals on 125 shots in two wins this weekend over Merritt and Trail. Josh Nadeau extended his goal streak to seven games. Aydar Suniev has 11 goals in his last 10 games. Ryan Hopkins has 13 points on his 10-game point streak. Bradly Nadeau now has two or more points in seven straight games.

GAME STATS

Final Score: 7-2, Vees

Shots: 65-21, Vees

Vees Scoring: Suniev (2), J. Nadeau, B. Nadeau, Nieuwendyk, Niedermayer, Tinling

Vees PP: 2/6

Vees PK: 1/1

Three Stars:

  1. Josh Nadeau
  2. Dovar Tinling
  3. Keegan Maddocks (Trail)

Next Game: Friday, March 10th, vs. Langley, 7:00 pm