FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SaturdayDecember 18th
VEES BEATCLIPPERS 5-3, HEADING HOME FOR HOLIDAYS
PENTICTON, BC ?The Penticton Vees are heading home with the rest of the Interior Conference inthe rear-view mirror after a 5-3 win over the visiting Nanaimo Clippers onSaturday night.
The Vees closed out their final week of pre-Christmas playwith five of a possible six points, and now hold a three-point bulge over thesecond place Vernon Vipers.
Joey Benik had four points in the win while Joey LaLeggiaand Myles McCauley each notched a pair of goals, as the Vees scored three timeson the power play.
Joey Benik scored the lone goal of the first period, when hetapped in a pretty Garrett Milan set up at the side of the net. For Benik, thegoal was his team-leading eighteenth of the season. James Polk also drew anassist on the goal that came at 18:44 of the opening frame.
In the second period the Vees would strike twice on thepower play. First, Myles McCauley converted a shot from the side of the netthat beat the Nanaimo net-minder down low, then Joey LaLeggia buried his firstof two rockets at 7:19 of the frame. Benik would draw assists on both goals andthe Vees led 3-0.
The Clippers would get on the board at the 17:31 of theperiod, when Zach Martin beat Billy Faust to cut the Vees lead to two goals.
In the final frame the Vees scored just 30 seconds into theframe, when Joey LaLeggia ripped home his eighteenth of the season on aone-timer. LaLeggia and Benik are both tied for the team lead in goals.
Andrew Gladiuk would quickly respond for the Clippers with ashort-handed tally at 1:27 and the Vees lead was again cut to two goals.
Myles McCauley would close out the scoring for the Vees, ashe picked up his second of the night, and sixth goal in as many games sincejoining the Vees in early December. McCauley?s goal at 8:21 gave the Vees a 5-2edge against a tired Nanaimo club playing their fourth game in five nights inthe Interior Conference.
The Clippers would add a power play goal from Ryan Stanimir at12:07, but that would be all the scoring on this final day of hockey for tendays in the BCHL.
Billy Faust held the Vees in early, and ended up making 35saves on 38 shots surrendered by the Vees. Charles-Andre Pelletier allowed fivegoals on 27 shots.
The Vees were great on the power play scoring three times onseven opportunities infront of an announced attendance of 858 fans. The penaltykill was solid allowing just a single goal against in six man-advatages on thenight. Nanaimo also scored once short-handed.
The Vees will return to action on New Year?s Eve when theyhost the Westside Warriors with a special start time of 6PM at the SouthOkanagan Events Centre.
You can purchase game tickets at the S.O.E.C. box office, atValleyFirstTix.com, or at London Drugs in the Cherry Lane Shopping Centre.
