FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sunday, March 10, 2013
TRAILS, BC- The Trail Smoke Eaters made the most of their final game of the season, as they rode a four-goal second period, en route to a 4-2 win over the Penticton Vees Sunday afternoon. The win was their fourth this season against the Vees and third at Cominco arena.
The Vees dressed just fourteen skaters for the regular season finale, going with only nine forwards and five defensemen; including four affiliate players. That number shrunk to 14 when Cody DePourcq left just 4:53 into the game with a lower-body injury. DePourcq was checked from behind by Trail’s Braeden Jones who was shown an early exit for the hit.
After a scoreless first period, Trail blew the game wide open with three goals in just over a minute and a half. Marley Keca started things off with his first of two in the period at 4:11. Keca’s shoot-in from centre deflected off the side glass in the Vees zone and into an open net. Nic Renyard was victimized by a bad bounce as he went out to corral the puck behind his goal, only to have it bounce off the glass and into the vacated net.
Trail quickly doubled their lead on a nice individual effort from Luke Sandler at 5:01. Sandler took a pass just outside the Vees line, skated in on goal and put a backhand over the glove of Renyard. The Smoke Eaters added one more just forty-four seconds later, as Jesse Knowler finished off a pass from behind the net at 5:45.
The Vees cut into the deficit late in the frame when Jordan Boultbee buried his first career BCHL goal at 17:03. Boultbee beat Lyndon Standwood over the glove after Ryan Gropp dropped the puck to Boultbee in the slot.
Trail regained their three goal lead in the dying seconds of the period. Marley Keca scored his second and fourth against the Vees on a blast from the left-circle. Keca leaned into a pass and put the puck over the right shoulder of Renyard at 19:59.
The Vees scored the only goal of the third, as affiliate player Brett Harris scored his first career BCHL goal. Jordan McCallum forced a turnover in the corner and centered for Harris, who pushed his one-timer past Stanwood’s glove at 19:16.
FINAL SCORE: 4-2 SMOKE EATERS
Shots: 47-29 Trail
Power-Play: Vees 0-2 Trail 0-3
Three Stars: 1)Marley Keca 2) Luke Sandler 3) Lyndon Stanwood
GAME NOTES
With the loss, the Vees finish with a 35-16-0-5 record; 21-11-0-3 against the Interior Division. The Vees did not dress Troy Stecher, Thomas Nitsche, Sean Flanagan, Louie Nanne, Jedd Soleway, Wade Murphy, John Siemer, Brad McClure and Travis Blanleil.
UP NEXT
The Vees open the 2013 Fred Page Cup playoffs against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks on Friday, March 15th at the SOEC; puck drop is 7pm. Playoff ticket packages are available at the Valley First box office at the SOEC or online at www.pentictonvees.ca
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