FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SaturdayNovember 13th
MOUNTAIN SCORESTWICE IN VEES 3-2 WIN IN MERRITT
MERRITT, BC ? TheVees are back in the hunt for top spot in the Interior Conference after a 3-2win over the Merritt Centennials in the Nicola Valley on Saturday night.
Kyle Mountain?s two goals, Joel Rumpel?s stellar play innet, and Joey Benik?s team leading tenth goal of the season led the Vees totheir fifteenth win of the season.
The Vees are now four points back of the Trail Smoke Eatersfor top spot in the Conference while holding three games in hand, and a singlepoint behind the Salmon Arm Silverbacks who have played once more.
Joey Benik opened the scoring in Merritt, taking advantageof a turnover in the neutral zone and burying the puck at the 14:07 mark.Benik?s line – which comprised of Steve Iacobellis and Bradley Robbins ?created chances all night with ample ice-time.
The Centennials would tie the game at 3:30 of the secondperiod on the power play when Brandon Pfiel buried his fifth of the year.
Six minutes after the Cents tied the game, the KyleMountain?s first of the night gave the Vees their second lead, when he poundeda loose puck in through a crowd of bodies in the crease.
Merritt would equalize again on the man-advantage at 17:43 of the third whenJeff Jones threaded a pass to Regan Soquilla for a tap in goal, and the gamewas headed to the third period tied at two.
Just 25 seconds into the third period Mountain scored againfor the Vees. His fifth of the year would be the final goal scored and stand asthe game winner.
The Vees finished without a special teams goal on five powerplays, while allowing the Centennials to score a pair on six advantages.
Joel Rumpel made numerous big saves in the late going andfinished with 39 saves on 41 shots on the night. Lino Chimienti allowed threegoals on 36 shots in net for the Merritt Centennials.
The Vees will welcome back three members of Team Canada Weston Monday as Joey LaLeggia, Brendan O?Donnell, and Mark MacMillan return fromWorld Junior A Challenge play. Team Canada West will play for bronze againstSwitzerland at 1:15 at the South Okanagan Events Centre on Sunday, while TeamCanada East and Team USA play for gold at 5:30.
The Vees hit the ice again on Tuesday in Salmon Arm with afull cast of players for the first time since October. Salmon Arm and Pentictonhave split their two meetings at the SOEC this season, and will play twice atthe Sunwave Centre this week, as the Vees return to Salmon Arm on Friday.
Next home action for the Vees comes on Wednesday when theTrail Smoke Eaters visit the SOEC. The puck drops at 7:05 and you can catch allthe action on EZ Rock AM 800, MyEZRock.com, BCHL.ca, and 105.5 FM in the SOECwith the pre-game show starting at 6:40.
Vees game tickets and World Junior A Challenge tickets canbe purchased at the box office during business hours, or online atValleyFirstTix.com.
