Wenatchee, WA: The Penticton Vees (22-8-2-2) dropped their fourth game in a row Friday night, 6-3 to the Wenatchee Wild (24-9-2-1) to begin the second half of the season. Owen Sillinger recorded his second career hat trick, but a four-goal second period by the Wild led them to victory.
After Sillinger opened the scoring 92 seconds after puck drop, the Wild’s captain AJ Vanderbeck tied the game beating Nolan Hildebrand on a breakaway after a turnover at the Vees blue line.
With the score knotted at one through 20, Wenatchee opened the flood gates with four goals in the middle frame.
Vanderbeck and Jasper Weatherby scored just 46 seconds apart in the opening minutes of the period before Sillinger got one back shortly after a power play had expired.
Sam Morton and Chad Sasaki then scored a little over three minutes apart to signal the end of the night for Nolan Hildebrand as he was lifted for Adam Scheel.
Wenatchee struck on the man advantage for the second time on the night in the third, holding the Vees in their zone right from the drop of the puck before Josh Arnold tapped in a rebound.
Sillinger completed the hat trick with under five minutes to go in the game, shovelling in a cross-ice feed from Jonny Tychonick just seconds after a power play had run its course.
Scheel finished with 14 saves in relief as the Vees dropped their fourth game in a row, their first four-game slide since Oct 27-Nov 10, 2012.
The Vees have a quick chance to end the slump as they match up with the Wild again tonight for the final time in Wenatchee this season. The two teams meet twice more in Penticton; one week from today and February 24.
Team Statistics
Leading scorers
Penticton Vees
Owen Sillinger – 18 G 18 A 34 GP
Nicky Leivermann – 7 G 20 A 33 GP
Taylor Ward – 9 G 16 A 267 GP
Wenatchee Wild
Jasper Weatherby – 26 G 24 A 36 GP
Lucas Sowder – 14 G 26 A 29 GP
Cooper Zech – 7 G 32 A 36 GP
Special Teams
Penticton Vees
Power play – 21.9% (3rd in BCHL)
Penalty kill – 86.8% (1st in BCHL)
Wenatchee Wild
Power play – 22.8% (T-1st in BCHL)
Penalty kill – 85.5% (3rd in BCHL)
Season Series
October 21, 2017 – Vees 2 @ Wild 4 Boxscore
October 25, 2017 – Vees 2 vs Wild 3 OT2 Boxscore
December 29, 2017 – Vees 3 @ Wild 6 Boxscore
December 30, 2017 – Vees @ Wild
January 6, 2018 – Vees vs Wild
February 24, 2018 – Vees vs Wild
