The Penticton Vees made history on Saturday, winning their franchise record 18 straight game in a 7-2 triumph over the Powell River Kings.
Mario Lucia powered the offense, registering a hat-trick, pushing his total to 26 on the season.
The Vees didn’t waste any time getting on the board against the Kings; scoring thirty-five seconds into the game on the power-play.
Connor Reilly took the puck on the right goal-line and banked a shot off Kings goaltender Jamie Phillips on the near side.
The Vees drew the penalty on the opening shift just nineteen seconds into the game.
Penticton added to their lead, when Lucia scored his first of three but not in a conventional manner.
The Kings turned the puck over from behind net, as the puck got away from Taylor Carmola and popped out to Lucia in front who scored at 9:27 of the period.
Joey Benik made it three nothing in the final moments of the period, taking the puck down the left-wing and wired a wrist-shot past the blocker of Phillips at 18:57.
The only goals in the second came off the stick of Lucia.
His second came just thirty seven seconds after the puck ricocheted off his glove, off the defenders chest and in.
The hat-trick goal was much more conventional for the Minnesota native; scoring off a Travis St. Denis rebound at the glove side post.
In the third period, Mike Reilly opened the scoring, hammering a slap-shot past Jamie Phillips on the power-play just sixty-four seconds into the period.
Curtis Loik capped off the Vees scoring on the night, scoring the seventh and final Vees goal at 8:02.
Logan Johnston rushed down the right-wing and his back-hand shot was thwarted by Phillips; Johnston kept with the puck and took it behind the net before centering the puck to Loik in the slot.
Powell River scored two late goals in the period to get on the scoresheet.
Cohen Adair poked in a rebound off a Craig Dalrymple point-shot at 12:11 on the power-play.
Chris Williams scored their second goal, just under three minutes later, when his point shot eluded a maze of bodies and beat Mike Garteig on the blocker side at 14:53.
FINAL SCORE: 7-2 Vees
Shots: 36-24 Vees
Power-Plays: Vees- 3/4 Kings 1/5
Stars: 1) Mario Lucia 2) Mike Reilly 3) Mike Garteig
Attendance: 1741
The win moves the Vees record to 30-3-0-2 at the Christmas break.
