FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FridayDecember 10th
VEES ANDSILVERBACKS TIE UP THE ?CHALLENGE?
PENTICTON, BC ?The Penticton Vees are heading to Salmon Arm looking to extend their undefeatedstreak to five games, after a 2-2 tie in the first half of a home-and-homeweekend with the Silverbacks.
The second annual ?Christmas Charity Challenge? was asexciting a game as you?ll find at any level, and in the end $34,500 has bedonated to charity as Peter Bros. Construction bought up the remaining seats topush the attendance to the 4,000 needed for the money to be donated.
A boisterous crowd of 3,173 fans passed through theturnstiles on Friday to see what some will call the game of the year. Bothgoalies made numerous spectacular saves and held the game to just four combinedgoals despite 80 shots on the night.
The Silverbacks scored first when Bryce Gervais struck onthe power play on a set-up from David Killip and Clinton Atkinson at 7:03 ofthe first period.
The Vees would respond on their only power play of the nightwhen Mark MacMillan scored a gorgeous goal on a deke. MacMillan took a pass fromBrendan O?Donnell that sent him in behind the defense, and went to the backhandon a deke ? lifting the puck into the roof of the net. LaLeggia was given thesecond assist on MacMillan?s 14th goal of the season.
MacMillan has now scored in ten of his last eleven games andhas a twelve game point streak that leads the BCHL.
The Silverbacks would score again in the frame, when ClintonAtkinson sprung Bryce Gervais on a breakaway behind the Penticton defense.Gervais shot a forehand off the post that bounced behind Rumpel, off a Veesdefender and into the net, to give the Silverbacks their second lead of thenight.
Kyle Mountain would tie the game for the Vees on firm shotfrom the top of the right circle that hit Moore, but popped over the20-year-old net-minder and into the net. Mountain now has eight goals on theseason, and was a force killing penalties, and winning faceoffs on Friday aswell.
Joel Rumpel started his fourth consecutive game and finishedwith 38 saves on the night. Kris Moore also made 38 saves in the tie. Bothgoalies were great in the two overtime periods keeping the game locked at twogoals apiece.
The Vees power play scored on the only opportunity presented,while the Silverbacks made good on one of six opportunities. The Vees penaltykillers were superb in overtime where they killed off a full two-minutefour-on-three to hold the Silverbacks from a win.
With the tie, the Vees remain in top spot in the Interior with48 points in 35 games. Salmon Arm sits in third place, five points back of theVees, with two games-in-hand. Meanwhile, the Vernon Vipers move within twopoints of the Vees good for second spot in the Conference, as they beatVictoria on the road.
The Vees and Silverbacks will play again tomorrow in SalmonArm to close out a weekend two-game series. Another huge game betweencontenders in the Interior will have huge implications on the standings.
Next Vees home action comes next Friday when the VernonVipers come to town at 7:00PM for another edition of one of the great rivalriesin junior hockey. The pre-game will feature the cheque for $34,500 beingpresented to the local charities as a result of the second annual ChristmasCharity Challenge.
The final game before the Christmas break is Saturday the 18thof December, as the Nanaimo Clippers face the Vees at the SOEC.
