FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FridayDecember 3rd
VEES POUNDCENTENNIALS 6-1 IN MERRITT
MERRITT, BC ? ThePenticton Vees are a win away from a sweep of the season series of the MerrittCentennials after a 6-1 win in the Nicola Valley Arena on Friday.
With the victory, the Vees move past the Salmon ArmSilverbacks and into first place in the Interior Conference with 43 pointsthrough 32 games this season.
The Vees didn?t waste any time on Friday night, opening thescoring just 46 seconds into action when Derik Johnson?s point shot was tippedin by Mark MacMillan. The Canadiens draft pick has now scored in eight straightgames, and has eleven goals in fifteen games this season.
With the Vees leading 1-0 through twenty minutes, theCentennials got into penalty trouble early in the second period taking fourpenalties over just 2:35 ? giving the Vees multiple five-on-threeopportunities.
Joey LaLeggia would punish the Cents with back-to-backmarkers while up two men. LaLeggia now has sixteen goals on the season to gowith 27 assists; both are league-leading totals for defenders.
Jeff Jones replied for the Cents on a power play to bringthe Centennials back within two at 6:50 of the second period when he poked in aloose puck in the Vees crease for his twelfth goal of the season.
The Vees would get goals from Kyle Mountain and Joey Benikto lead the game 5-1 heading into the final frame. Mountain now has seven goalson the season while Benik has fifteen goals.
Merritt goalie Lino Chimienti appeared to be injured on theMountain goal as a Merritt defender fell onto the 19-year-old net-minder andended his night. Tyler Steel would cover the net for the remainder of the game.
The Vees would kill off a over a minute of five-on-threetime early in the third period after a Paul Bezzo was issued an instigatorpenalty after scrapping Billy Marshall while the Vees were already shorthanded.
In the third period the Vees would add one more strike asJoey Holka would bull his way out of the corner of the Merritt end and depositthe puck behind Tyler Steel for his twelfth goal of the season.
Local Affiliate Players Carter Rigby of the Osoyoos Coyotesand Cody DePourcq of the OHA Midget AAA team played great games for thevisitors. Rigby ? who is just 16-years-old ? set up Benik?s goal in the slot,while DePourcq, 15, looked extremely comfortable playing amongst the biggerolder players.
Joel Rumpel made 34 saves on 35 shots to move his win totalto an even dozen. Chimienti absorbs the loss for the Cents as he allowed fivegoals on less than twenty shots.
The Vees would finish with two power play goals on sixopportunities, while killing off seven of eight penalties taken.
Vees next action comes Saturday as the Cents visit the SouthOkanagan Events Centre to close out a home-and-home between the two clubs, andfinish off the six-game season series. Puck drop is at 7:00 PM and the pre-gameshow starts on EZ Rock AM 800 ? where you can catch all Vees games this season.
The Christmas Charity Challenge is on December 10thwhere over $30,000 will be given to local charities by community-orientedbusinesses if over 4,000 Vees fans show up for the game against the Salmon ArmSilverbacks. Tickets to the Christmas Charity Challenge are 2-for-1 with adonation of a non-perishable food item to the Salvation Army at the SOEC boxoffice.
Vees game tickets can be purchased at the box office duringbusiness hours, at London Drugs, or online at ValleyFirstTix.com.
