Penticton, BC: The Penticton Vees (6-0-0-0) fate in Friday night’s game against the Vernon Vipers (7-2-0-1) was briefly in the hands of the officiating crew after the Vipers thought they tied the game. A shot from below the goal line hit Adam Scheel’s glove and went into the net, but the officials converged and agreed that the puck didn’t cross the line before time expired, and the Vees downed the Vipers 3-2.
Despite getting into penalty trouble throughout the game, the Vees opened the scoring Friday night. After a scramble in front of the Vernon net, Anthony Yamnitsky fell backwards into his crease as the puck was jammed in by Jack Barnes for his first career BCHL goal.
Shortly after the goal, the Vees took two penalties just 44 seconds apart, giving Vernon a lengthy two-man advantage. Jimmy Lambert took a cross-crease pass from Brett Stapley and snuck his fifth goal of the season under Scheel’s glove hand to tie the game just as the first penalty expired.
The Vees penalty kill had to go to work to start the second, as there was 1:37 remaining on a penalty from the end of the first. The Vees killed it off, then another one a few minutes later without allowing Vernon to get any sustained pressure.
The momentum seemed to shift in the Vees favour, and Cassidy Bowes restored the Vees lead. Luke Reid took a wrist shot from the right point that Bowes was able to deflect down past Yamnitsky for his second of the year.
With the score 2-1 in the third, the Vees were given a power-play opportunity, but it was Vernon capitalizing. Jesse Lansdell flipped the puck high in the air from his own zone, and it landed right on the stick of Nico Karmanis coming off the bench. He came in on Scheel and was able to beat the Vees goaltender on a backhand-forehand move to tie the game at two.
On the same penalty, the Vees regained their lead. Jackson Keane had the puck at the right circle and fired a shot on goal. It was blocked by the Vipers defender and came right back to Keane, so he threw it on goal again. His second chance also hit a body in front, but Keane followed the puck to the net and was able to slide his third chance past Yamnitsky for his first BCHL goal to restore the lead.
The score stayed 3-2 Penticton into the final minute, before the Vipers thought they tied the game. With just seconds left on the clock, Jordan Sandhu threw the puck at Scheel from below the goal line, and it went off Scheel’s glove and into the net. The Vipers celebrated, but the officials came together and after a few minutes, agreed that the puck didn’t cross the line before time expired as the Vees held on for the 3-2 win.
The two teams don’t have much time to rest, as they’re right back in action tomorrow night at 6:00 in Vernon. Be sure to get your tickets for the Vees next home game on Saturday, October 14 when they welcome the Victoria Grizzlies.
