FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
TuesdayNovember 16th
VEES STRONGFINAL 40 NOT ENOUGH FOR A WIN
SALMON ARM, BC ?The Penticton Vees are looking forward to some hometown hockey Wednesday at theSouth Okanagan Events Centre following a 5-4 loss in Salmon Arm on Tuesdaynight.
Tuesday night saw the fourth consecutive road game for theVees, and also happened to mark the return of Brendan O?Donnell, Mark MacMillanand Joey LaLeggia for the from Team Canada West at the World Junior AChallenge.
A tough opening period hurt the Vees. Midway through the firstframe, Devin Muller scored his fifth of the season, set-up by Brett Knowles andDavid Killip, sut up by a strong move out of the corner. Four minutes later theline was back at it as Killip move to Muller, who slid a pass to Knowles – whoput the puck in the net.
With the score 2-0, the Vees returned to the ice adetermined team in the second period. Three minutes into the frame BrendanO?Donnell stole a puck and fed Steve Iacobellis, who put the Vees on the boardand halved the Silverbacks lead. O?Donnell would finish the night with ateam-high three points.
After Devon Gannon replied for the Silverbacks to make it3-1, the Vees would strike twice more in the second; silencing the crowd of 771who watched two separate leads of two goals disappear.
First, Joey Holka tipped in a Brendan O?Donnell shot on thepower play, then Brendan O?Donnell rammed home a rebound set up by MarkMacMillan and Joey Holka with just six seconds remaining in the frame.
With the game tied, the Vees put together a strong period ofhockey, out-chancing and heavily outshooting the Silverbacks in the third, butit was the Silverbacks scoring twice on just seven shots in the period to go up5-3 with just 2:59 remaining.
The Vees played a voracious final half dozen minutes, pepperinggoalie Kurt Williams with pucks, and controlling the play in enemy territory atlength. The Vees, though, could only muster a goal in the final minute with anempty net behind them.
Troy Stecher?s 3rd of the season made the game5-4, but was the only strike on seventeen shots in the period.
Joey Rumpel made 19 saves on 24 shots in the loss, whileKurt Williams stopped 30 of 34 for the Silverbacks, and earned his second winof the season.
The Vees scored once on three power play opportunities,while killing off both penalties taken.
With the loss, the Vees fall three points behind Salmon Armwith a game in hand, and remain six back of the Trail Smoke Eaters who lead theConference. The Vees hold three games in hand on Trail, which happens to be thenext opponent for the Vees. Wednesday sees the Vees host the Trail Smoke Eatersat the SOEC.
With the World Junior A Challenge taking over Penticton overthe past two weeks, the Vees last action at the SOEC was back on October 29th.
The puck drops at 7:00 and you can catch all the action onEZ Rock AM 800, MyEZRock.com, BCHL.ca, and 105.5 FM in the SOEC with thepre-game show starting at 6:40.
The Vees will look for revenge on Friday when they return tothe Shuswap for a second tilt this week with the Silverbacks.
Vees game tickets can be purchased at the box office duringbusiness hours, at London Drugs, or online at ValleyFirstTix.com.
