The Penticton Vees held home ice in Game 3 and will look to tie the Interior Conference Final at two games apiece on Wednesday, following a 4-0 win. Sean Bonar recorded his second post-season shutout, blanking the Vernon on Tuesday. The Vees now trail the Vipers two games to one in the Interior Conference Final. Denver Manderson was all over the score sheet on Tuesday night with a goal and two assists. The Vees captain had been held pointless through Game 1 & 2 in Vernon, but now has 23 points on the post season, tied for the BCHL lead. After being used sparingly in Vernon, Matt Paltridge made an immediate impact in Game 3. Taking a draw won by Manderson in the offensive zone, Paltridge whistled a wrist shot between the legs of Graeme Gordon from the right point to open the scoring 5:38 into the game. Still in the first, Manderson streaked down the right wing on a two-on-one and left the puck in the slot as he was taken-out by Dan Nycholat. Jake Johnson got to the loose puck and punched in his first post-season tally, which gave the Vees a two-goal lead. The goal is the first ever playoff marker for Johnson in his career, as he never played a Junior playoff game prior to this season in Penticton. In the second frame Ryan Viselli won a battle on the end wall in the Vernon end, and centered the puck in front of the Vernon net. The puck hit the skate of Kevin Kraus and popped behind 20-year-old Graeme Gordon to give the Vees a three-goal lead through forty minutes. In the final frame the Vipers turned up the heat, eventually pulling Gordon with over two minutes remaining, looking for their first goal of the night, but Bonar wouldn?t budge. When all was done the Vipers had directed 37 shots on Bonar, all of which he stopped. The 18-year-old now has back-to-back home shutouts after blanking the Westside Warriors 3-0 in Game 5 of the Conference Semi-Finals. Graeme Gordon stopped 22 of 25 shots before the Vees sealed the win with a Manderson empty net goal with 1:11 left in the game. Neither team could convert on the man-advantage with each side getting three opportunities in the contest. The Vees are scoreless on eight power plays in the series, while the Vipers have scored twice on ten opportunities. The Vees host Game 4 on Wednesday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Play begins at 7:05 with the Underwriters Insurance Pre-Game Show starting at 6:40 on EZ Rock AM 800. Tickets for Game 4 are available at the SOEC box office, ValleyFirstTix.com, and London Drugs at the Cherry Lane Shopping Centre.
HEADER
