Penticton, BC: The Penticton Vees (15-5-1-2) didn’t let a late tying goal by the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (11-13-3-0) deter them as Owen Sillinger scored just 42 seconds into overtime to give the Vees their sixth-straight win.
Nicky Leivermann opened the scoring for the Vees just five minutes into the opening period. After taking a pass from Dakota Boutin, Leivermann skated down the left wall before going into the circle and firing a wrist shot over Kyle Dumba’s blocker for his seventh of the year.
Nolan Hildebrand got the start in net Friday night and had a strong performance as he would finish with 30 saves recording his seventh win of the year, a new career high. His biggest stop of the night came with just over eight minutes left in the second period as he stoned Grayson Constable on a penalty shot.
A few minutes after that save the Vees got a power-play goal. Cassidy Bowes through a no-look pass to the front of the net from Dumba’s glove side that Grant Cruikshank shovelled on net. Dumb made the initial save, but wasn’t able to recover for the rebound that Massimo Rizzo tapped in for his third of the year.
Before the period was up the Silverbacks got one back. Right off a face-off the puck came to the front of the net and Tanner Campbell was able to sneak one under the blocker arm of Hildebrand with 12 seconds to go in the period.
Both teams had great chances in the third as Taylor Ward received a stretch pass from Leivermann, but put the shot over the net on the breakaway. The Silverbacks best chance ended in a goal as Rhett Kingston came out from behind the net before firing a shot over Hildebrand’s glove to tie the game with 2:36 left.
In overtime, Max Wutzke threw the puck on Hildebrand from a sharp angle and the rebound went right in the slot for the Vees to start back the other way. Owen Sillinger skated into the Salmon Arm zone on an odd man rush and threw it across for Ward.
Ward couldn’t get the shot away, but he sent right back across for Sillinger to tap into the open net to give the Vees the win. The goal was Sillinger’s 11th of the year, and extended his point streak to seven games.
The Vees now get set to host the Chilliwack Chiefs (13-12-2-2) who lost 4-2 in Wenatchee last night. It will be the second meeting of the season between the two teams; Penticton won 6-3 at the BCHL Showcase September 23.
