FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WednesdayDecember 1st
VEES LOSE TOWARRIORS ON TEDDY BEAR TOSS NIGHT
PENTICTON, BC ?The Penticton Vees are looking for answers after a 6-4 loss to the WestsideWarriors ? their second loss to their Okanagan rivals in the last six days.
The night started so well for the Vees: an early goal fromMark MacMillan, Teddy Bears raining from the stands onto the ice, and adominant opening five minutes where they didn?t allow a shot on net. It?s toobad for Vees fans things didn?t last longer.
After the Vees goal at 29 seconds – that extended MarkMacMillan?s goal scoring streak to seven games, and saw 467 teddy bears donatedto the Salvation Army – the Warriors began to get their feet.
The visitors tied the game and took the lead in the final1:35 of the frame with Tyler Brickler and Max French scoring just 52 secondsapart to silence a crowd of 1,253 fans.
In the second frame, less than two minutes in, the WarriorsCaptain, Alex Grieve, jammed in a loose puck and the lead was a pair of goals.
The Vees scored a pair to tie the game midway through thesecond period when Joey Benik jammed in his fourteenth of the season on a powerplay, and Joey LaLeggia jumped into the play to finish off an odd-man rush. ForLaLeggia it was his fourteenth of the season – to tie Benik for the team lead -and was one of three points he recorded on the night.
Grayson Downing would score his first of two goals on thepower play on a one-time shot to give the Warriors a one-goal lead, but MarkHall would tip in a pretty Steve Iacobellis pass to knot the game at 4-4through two periods of play.
In the third period the Vees steadily out-chanced theWarriors, out shot the enemy by a 12-4 margin, but lost the battle – as theWarriors scored the only two goals of the period. Grieve and Downing eachscored their second goals of the night and Warriors escaped with the twopoints.
Billy Faust got the start for the Vees, but lost the gameallowing six goals on 30 shots. Kevin Boyle made 26 saves on 30 shots for thewin. Both teams finished 1/3 on the power play.
The Warriors have now beat the Vees twice in a week afterthe two clubs met Friday night in West Kelowna, where Westside prevailed 5-1.
The Vees remain a single point out of top spot in theInterior, but the Conference leading Silverbacks hold a game in hand. Westsideis now in a tie with Vernon for fourth spot in the Conference, four points backof the Vees with a single game in hand.
The Salvation Army is pleased to announce the 467 bearsthrown on the ice by fans tonight will be given out to families with childrenin their Christmas hampers this holiday season.
Vees next action comes Friday night in Merritt, when theVees make their final trip o the Nicola Valley Arena. The Vees have beaten theCentennials in each of their previous four meetings. Friday?s game in Merrittstarts at 7:30 with the pre-game show starting at 7:10.
Saturday the Cents return the favour and visit the SouthOkanagan Events Centre to close out a home-and-home between the two clubs andfinish off the six game season series. Puck drop is at 7:00 PM and the pre-gameshow starts on EZ Rock AM 800 ? where you can catch all Vees games this season.
Vees game tickets can be purchased at the box office duringbusiness hours, at London Drugs, or online at ValleyFirstTix.com.
