FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SaturdayNovember 27th
VEES WIN WILDAFFAIR IN COQUITLAM
COQUITLAM, BC? The Penticton Vees are halfway through the regular season following a 7-5 winin Coquitlam on Saturday. The win was the Vees twentieth of the season andleaves the club just a point out of first place in a tight Interior Conference.
Brendan O?Donnell and Joey Benik each recorded a goal andtwo assists in the win, and the Vees got big contributions from all of theirLower Mainland players with friends and families in attendance.
The Vees opened the scoring in the first period when JoeyLaLeggia rifled his thirteenth of the season past net-minder Khaleed Devji on aset up from Steven Iacobellis at 4:55. LaLeggia would finish the night with twopoints and a share of the team lead in goals.
The Express would strike back to even the score at 6:19,when Jason Grecica netted his tenth of the season that appeared to bank in offa crowd in front of the net of Joel Rumpel.
The Vees would get the lead back before the end of the frame,when Joey Benik zipped his thirteenth of the season in off the left post at 17:44.The Vees led 2-1 after an opening twenty minutes that saw the visitors outshootCoquitlam seventeen to five.
In the middle frame the Vees would extend their lead to 3-1when Logan Johnston scored his eighth of the season to finish off an impressivecycle in the offensive zone with Joey Benik and Garrett Milan.
Mark MacMillan would also score in the second period on alovely feed from Brendan O?Donnell and James Polk. MacMillan has now scored insix straight games, the BCHL?s longest active goal scoring streak. The Veeslead 4-2 after forty minutes.
The Express would open the third period with three straightgoals over a 7:12 stretch, and the 713 fans at the Coquitlam Sports Centre cameto life as the Express had their first lead of the night.
After the Express scored their fourth of the night to tiethe game Joel Rumpel was replaced with Billy Faust ? who played the final 16:31of the game.
The Vees would bounce back late when Brendan O?Donnellburied his thirteenth of the season on a slick move off the sidewall – on thepower play – to tie the game.
At the 15:12 of the third the Vees took the lead back whenSteven Iacobellis tipped in a Troy Stecher point shot, to put the Vees ahead tostay. For Iacobellis the goal was his third of the season, and came with over40 friends and family in attendance.
Joey Holka would add an insurance marker into an empty net,and the Vees earned a win in their first road game against a Coastal Conferenceteam this season.
The Vees would finish with a goal on three power playopportunities, while allowing one goal against on four penalties taken.
Billy Faust earned the win, making five saves on six shots;Joel Rumpel earned no decision in the games after allowing four goals oneighteen shots over 43:29 of play.
Vees next action comes Wednesday when the Westside Warriorsvisit the South Okanagan Events Centre. Wednesday is the Vees ?Teddy Bear Toss?where fans are encourage to donate a stuffed animals to the Salvation Army bythrowing them onto the ice after the Vees first goal. Puck drop is at 7:00 PMand the pre-game show starts on EZ Rock AM 800 with Ryan Pinder and Al Formo.
Vees game tickets can be purchased at the box office duringbusiness hours, at London Drugs, or online at ValleyFirstTix.com.
