FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Saturday September 11th
VEES OPEN SEASON WITH SWEEP OF WARRIORS
Penticton, BC ? The Penticton Vees are undefeated after a second consecutive nail-biting win over the Westside Warriors in as many nights. After winning 1-0 in a tight checking affair on the road in West Kelowna on Friday, the Vees won their home half of the two-game set in similar fashion. Trailing 2-1 heading into the third period the Vees got three goals in the third including an insurance marker into an empty net to beat the Warriors 4-2 and move to (2-0-0-0) on the season.
After allowing a short handed goal by Kyle Singleton, and a power play goal by Grayson Downing in the first frame the Vees found themselves in a hole for the majority of their home-opening match-up of the 2010/2011 season.
In fact, the Vees didn?t take the lead until Garrett Milan made a dazzling move off a great set up from James Polk that put the home team ahead 3-2 with just 4:06 remaining in the third. Polk recorded his first point as a member of the Vees on the play ? a feat duplicated by Joey Benik and Mark Hall.
The Vees killed off a Westside power play in the final minutes of the game while nursing a one-goal lead, and then saw Kyle Mountain score into an empty net with just 2 seconds remaining. The dramatic finish brought the crowd of the 1,750 fans in attendance to their feet at the SOEC, a place the Vees have housed the BCHL?s top home record since it was finished in the Fall of 2008.
Local Logan Johnston played a big role in the Vees second win of the year, recording a ?Gordie Howe Hattrick? ? with a fight, a goal and an assist in the game. Johnston scrapped with Matt Cronin in the first period, scored on a breakaway with a beautiful move to the back hand to tie the game in the third, and then set up the empty netter by muscling the puck out of the Vees end in the final moments of the game.
The Vees got their first power play marker of the year from Brendan O?Donnell at 9:46 of the first period. The goal was set up by Joey LaLeggia, and was O?Donnell?s first as a member of the Vees. The home team would finish 1 of 4 on the man-advantage, while the penalty kill was 4 of 5.
Kyle Moutain was justly awarded with the empty net opportunity after winning multiple important face-offs in the late stages of the game. For Mountain ? whose older brother was a net-mider for the 2007/2008 BCHL Champion Vees, it was his first as a member of the Vees. Moutain , Johnston and Milan each had two-points in the win.
Joel Rumpel was stellar again. After posting a 32 save shutout on Friday, he allowed just two goals on 38 shots in Penticton on Saturday. Kevin Boyle was solid for Westside again as well as he made 27 saves in the loss.
The Vees now sit in an early season first place tie with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and Trail Smoke Eaters in the Interior Conference after the opening weekend of the season with a maximum four points.
Next action for the Vees comes Friday from the SOEC when the Vernon Vipers make their first visit to Penticton since their second consecutive National Championship in May. 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 during business hours, and online at ValleyFirstTix.com
—
Ryan Pinder
Director of Broadcasting, Media Relations
Penticton Vees
(250) 488-5426
pentictonvees.podbean.com
twitter.com/ryanpinder
