FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FridayOctober 29th
HOLKA?S PAIRRALLIES VEES TO VICTORY
PENTICTON, BC ?The Vees will looking for a third straight victory Saturday night in Trail,after a 4-2 comeback win over Salmon Arm on Friday Night.
After falling behind 2-0 to the Silverbacks in the firstperiod, the Vees would score four unanswered goals ? including two from JoeyHolka – skating to their second home win in three days.
After a gorgeous goal from Devin Muller 2:33 into the game,and a second goal bounced in off Morgan Zulinick at 15:16 of the first period,the Silverbacks appeared to be in the drivers seat of a battle for top spot inthe Interior, but the Vees would fight back.
Joey Holka got the Vees on the board with his first of apair on the night, when Mark MacMillan, and Brendan O?Donnell set up the20-year-old forward in the slot. The Vees were down by a goal after a period ofplay.
Early in the second frame Mark MacMillan tied the game onthe power play with his second goal in as many games. The Montreal Canadiensdraft pick kept jamming away at a loose puck in the Salmon Arm crease until itpopped over the Silverbacks net-minder Chase Martin and into the net.
The line of Stefan Nicholishen, Brad Robbins and Joey Benikwould put the team ahead 3-2 with another second period goal. The Vees third ofthe night was set up by physical play on the wall from Nicholishen, a stunningpass from behind the net from Robbins, and the finish from the slot from Benik.The goal stands as Benik?s eighth of the season which gives him a share of theteam lead with Brendan O?Donnell and Joey LaLeggia.
In the third period Joey Holka?s second of the night wouldclose out the scoring with a bang in at the side of the net set up by TylerHlookoff and Mark MacMillan – who finished with three points on the night.
Holka now has seven goals scored in just thirteen games inhis final season of junior hockey. Joey also got in a fight, sticking up for ateammate, and was named the first star of the game, drawing a rousing round ofapplause from the 1,861 in attendance. Holka will play college hockey for theSt. Cloud State Huskies of the WCHA next season.
The Vees had a strong night of special teams play with a goal on three powerplays, and a perfect penalty kill that erased two minors assessed to the Vees.
Joel Rumpel stood tall for the Vees after allowing a goal ona deke early in the game. Rumpel earned his eight win of the season by stopping23 of 25 Silverbacks shots. Newly acquired goalie, Chase Martin, made 33 saveson 37 shots in suffering his first loss as a member of the Silverbacks.
Next action for the Vees is the Saturday night in the Kootenayswhere the Trail Smoke Eaters host the Vees at 7:30 – in a battle of topcontenders in a tight Interior Conference.
The Vees won?t return to home ice until November 17thfollowing the conclusion of the World Junior A Challenge at the South OkanaganEvents Centre, which runs from Novermber 8th until the 13th.
Vees game tickets and World Junior A Challenge tickets canbe purchased at the box office during business hours, or online atValleyFirstTix.com.
