FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Saturday September 18th VEES LOSE SECOND STRAIGHT TO VIPERS VERNON, BC ? The Penticton Vees will look to get back on the winning path on Tuesday, after suffering a weekend sweep at the hands of the Vernon Vipers. After losing 3-2 at home on Friday, the Vees played a much better game on Saturday, but were stuck with another loss. The Vipers fell behind 1-0, but scored four straight to win 4-1 Vees rookie forward Brad Robbins opened the scoring at 13:34 of the first period, after a Joey Benik dangle was stopped but left a juicy rebound. For Robbins the goal was his first as a member of the Vees and of his junior career. Benik who consistently created chances throughout the night, turned in his finest performance of the season and seemed dangerous each time he touched the puck. Combine the goal with five first period collisions from Logan Johnston and the Vees had the early makings of a road win after 20 minutes. The tide turned in the second frame when the Vipers struck for three and didn?t look back. First it was Mike Zelewski who tipped in his first BCHL goal off a Brett Corkey point shot. Also drawing an assist on the first goal was John Knisley. The Vipers struck again at the 11:53 mark when Dylan Walchuk took a puck out of the corner in the Vees end cut behind the net and beat Joel Rumpel on a wrap around. David Robinson and Aaron Hadley garnered assist on the goal. Late in the second frame Bryce Kakoske buried a point blast through a crowd on the power play, and the Vipers went to the intermission up 3-1. Steven Weinstein set up Kakoske on the play for an assist. In the third the Vipers added a fourth goal when Dylan Walchuk stole a puck on the PK and centred or David Robinson who potted his first as captain of his hometown Vipers. Vernon won the special teams battle killing off all four penalties taken, Scoring once on four opportunites on the man-advantage and recording a short handed marker as well. The shots finished even at 26 apiece, with Blake Voth making 25 saves and Joel Rumpel stopping 22. Both the Vees and the Vipers move to (2-2-0-0) on the season and find themselves amid a thick pack of clubs in the Interior Conference playing .500 hockey including Westside and Trail. Salmon Arm are the lone undefeated team sitting at (4-0-0-0). Next action for the Vees comes Tuesday night from the S.O.E.C. in Penticton when the Prince George Spruce Kings make their first trip of the season to the Okanagan. Puck drop is 7:00PM and you can catch all the action on EZ Rock AM 800 in Penticton, in the SOEC at 105.5FM, and online at MyEZRock.com or BCHL.ca starting with the 6:40 Pre-Game Show. Vees Game Tickets can be purchased at the SOEC box office, London Drugs at Cherry Land Shopping Centre, and online at ValleyFirstTix.com
HEADER
