Photo: Cherie Morgan
PENTICTON B.C. – Anselmo Rego scored shorthanded, in overtime, to cap off the Penticton Vees 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Vernon Vipers, Friday, in Game One of their Interior Division Semi-Final series at the SOEC.
Rego scored his second goal of the game 1:40 into the extra frame, as the Vees came all the way back from a 3-1 deficit, as they now lead the best-of-seven series 1-0.
Billy Renfrew and Callum Arnott also scored for Penticton, as they now have won five-straight to start the BCHL Playoffs.
“We got a great block shot by Larry Keenan that set up the chance the other way. He [Rego] showed great patience on that play to outwait the defenceman to give himself a chance to get that shot off and end overtime quickly,” said Vees’ Director of Hockey Operations, Matt Miller.
Penticton was a bit rusty out of the gate, coming off an eight-day break after their first round sweep over the Prince George Spruce Kings. Vernon’s Owen Kim opened the scoring just 63 seconds into the game, capitalizing on an odd man rush to beat Vees’ goaltender Will Ingemann on the glove side.
Rego scored his first of two on the night when he tied the game six minutes into the first. Rego circled the Vipers’ zone with the puck before tucking it over the shoulder of Vernon’s goaltender Ethan David and under the bar for his third of the postseason.
Vernon wasted no time retaking the lead, as they went ahead 2-1 on a Carson McGinley goal 90 seconds after the Vees had tied it. McGinley finished off another odd man rush, as he put Vernon ahead at 7:31.
Simon Meier came close to tying the game late in the first period, but he was robbed by David who sprawled out to make a left pad save.
After a back and forth first period, the two teams clamped down defensively in the middle frame. Penticton and Vernon traded goals in the final five minutes of the second.
Vipers’ defenceman Noah Dorey put the visitors up 3-1 with under five minutes left in the second, as he took a cross-ice pass from teammate Hank Cleaves and beat Ingemann low on the blocker side. Dorey’s first of the playoffs gave the Vipers a two-goal lead late in period two.
Penticton’s comeback started late in the second, after they got a power play. Billy Renfrew scored his first of the playoffs after he stuffed the puck throw the goalie’s pads at the side of the net. Renfrew’s goal made it 3-2 with just 1:30 left in the middle frame. Renfrew scored moments after Arnott was denied on a great blocker save by David.
Arnott got his measure of revenge in the third, as he tied the game and forced overtime, when he banked in his shot from the wall off the goalie’s pad. His third of the postseason brought the Vees back level with just 2:02 left in regulation.
The Vees weren’t out of the woods just yet, as Brock Reinhart took boarding penalty with just 11 seconds left in third. That penalty carried over to overtime, which set the stage for Rego’s heroics.
“ANSELMO REGO SHORTHANDED! GAME 1 TO PENTICTON!”
The @PentictonVees pull off a huge comeback in game 1 against Vernon, winning it 4-3 thanks to this shorthanded beauty from Anselmo Rego!
🎙: @Fraser_Vees #BCHLPlayoffs | @Rogers pic.twitter.com/RDBjpX0gyb
— BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague) April 20, 2024
After Vernon missed a shot off the rush, the puck caromed around the boards to Rego, who flew up ice on a shorthanded two-on-one with Conyr Hellyer. Rego cut down the right wing, dragged the puck around the sprawled defenceman, then roofed his wrist shot over the goalie’s glove for the shorthanded, game-winner. Rego’s second goal of the game came just 1:40 into OT.
GAME STATS
Shots: 35-24, Vees
Vees Scoring: Anselmo Rego (3rd, 4th), Billy Renfrew (1st), Callum Arnott (3rd)
Vees Goaltending: Will Ingemann (W) 61:40 21/24
Power-Plays
Vees: 1/2
Vipers: 0/2
Next Game: The Vees look for a 2-0 series lead over Vernon on Saturday, April 20th, in Game Two at the SOEC; puck drop is 7:00 pm. Ticket for Game Two are available at the Valley First box office at the SOEC, and online at www.valleyfirstix.com
