The Penticton Vees extended their win streak to four, with their 8-0 shutout win over the Prince George Spruce Kings, Saturday at the SOEC.
Fitting the Vees won by a touchdown and two point conversion on the eve of Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas.
Penticton dominated the game from start to finish, as they finish with five wins in the six-game season series against Prince George.
“A complete effort from start to finish. There were no real lapses in our game. Our backchecking and tracking on pucks was probably the best it has been all season. We gave them [Prince George] no room. We contained them and kept them to the outside all night,” commented Vees’ Director of Hockey Operations, Matt Miller.
Penticton held Prince George to just 10 shots, including out shooting them 15-0 in the second period. The Vees surrendered just four shots over the final 40 minutes.
12 Vees registered a point in the win and five had two or more points. Billy Renfrew had a game high four points (0G, 4A). Callum Arnott scored a pair of goals and finished with three points. Cade Littler had a goal and two helpers. Nolan Stevenson scored his first BCHL goal in the win.
Will Ingemann posted his second consecutive shutout, as he had to make just 10 saves, as he picked up his 17th win. Ingemann now leads all BCHL goaltenders with four shutouts.
Conyr Hellyer and Larry Keenan scored in the opening 20 minutes for the Vees. Hellyer opened the scoring midway through the first and Keenan doubled the lead with just over two minutes left in the frame.
Penticton blew the game wide open in the middle frame with four goals on 15 shots. Arnott, Fisher, Littler, and Rego all scored in the second. Arnott scored just 16 seconds into the second and shorthanded to put the Vees up 3-0.
Fisher showed off his great hands on the fourth goal, as he grabbed the rebound at the side of the net and tucked the puck in past the sprawled out goaltender at 3:08.
Penticton had a five-on-three power play midway through the second and it was Arnott setting up Littler on a cross-ice pass for the easy finish into an open net that made it 5-0 at 11:36.
The second period barrage was capped off by Rego, as he made it 6-0 at 14:07, after he came down the wing, cut to the middle, and fired the puck over the goalie’s glove from the slot.
Penticton scored twice more in the third period, as Stevenson scored his first BCHL goal early in the frame. During a scramble in the crease, Stevenson poked the puck across the goal line before it was swept away by a Prince George stick. Initially the referee waved the goal off, but after a review, the call was reversed. Stevenson’s milestone marker made it 7-0 at 3:47.
Arnott capped off the scoring with his second goal of the game that made it 8-0 at 12:25.
Not only did the Vees win five out of six games against Prince George this season, but they outscored the Spruce Kings 25-3 in four games at the SOEC.
The Vees eight goals Saturday matched a season high, which was also against Prince George on November 17th.
Penticton is now five points ahead of West Kelowna for top spot in the Interior Division and they have a game in hand.
GAME STATS
Prince George 0 at Penticton 8
Shots: 44-10, Vees
Vees Scoring: Callum Arnott (2), Conyr Hellyer, Larry Keenan, James Fisher, Cade Littler, Anselmo Rego, Nolan Stevenson
Vees Goaltending: Will Ingemann (W) 60:00 10/10
Power-Plays
Vees: 1/4
Spruce Kings: 0/5
Three Stars:
1) Nolan Stevenson
2) Billy Renfrew
3) Cade Littler
Attendance: 2,918
NEXT GAME: The Vees (28-7-2-2) host the Vernon Vipers (24-14-1-0) in their annual Pink the Rink game on Friday, February 16, at 7:00 pm.
