Coming into Wednesday’s game, one team had won four in a row and the other had lost seven straight, but, through the first two periods tonight, you couldn’t guess which one it was at the SOEC. The Vees awakened in the third period with Jack Ramsey and Matt Serratore scoring goals for Penticton (21-7-1-3), en route to a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Trail Smoke Eaters (7-24-2-1).
The win extends the Vees win streak to a season-high five games; the Smoke Eaters saddled with their eighth straight loss.
Serratore scored the game-winner with just under five-minutes left in the third period. Serratore picked up the puck in the slot after Cody DePourcq pick-pocketed the defenseman just inside the Smoke Eaters zone. Serratore then faked a shot, before firing a wrist-shot over Adam Todd’s at 15:12; his second goal in as many games.
Jack Ramsey brought the Vees back level in the opening minutes of the third, as he finished-off a nice passing play with Anthony Conti. Conti took a lead pass at the Trail blue-line and found a streaking Ramsey down the right-wing. Ramsey cut to the goal and put a backhand-deke through the legs of Todd at 1:39; his fifth and second in three games.
After a scoreless first period, the Trail Smoke Eaters opened the scoring nine-minutes into the middle frame. Scott Davidson broke a scoreless tie on a partial breakaway after blocking a shot at his own blue-line. Davidson tracked down the puck, moved in on the right-wing and went through Hunter Miska’s legs at 8:59; Miska’s shutout streak against Trail just shy of eighty-nine minutes.
Bryan Basilico doubled the Smokies lead less than three-minutes later when he too converted on a breakaway. Basilico took a breakout pass from Braden Pears at the blue-line and slipped the puck through Miska’s legs at 11:48.
Ben Dalpe scored a pivotal goal in the dying moments of the second to cut into the deficit. Dalpe one-timed an errant Trail clearing attempt from the high-slot over Todd’s glove at 19:49; Dalpe picking up his eleventh and setting the stage for the Vees third period comeback.
The Vees dominated the third period, outshooting the Smokies 16-5 and up until the eighteen-minute mark, only gave up two shots on goal. Trail did pull the goalie with two-minutes left in the third but couldn’t manufacture a tying goal, despite some strong pressure.
Final Score: 3-2 Vees
Shots: 30-20 Vees
Power-Plays: Vees 0-2 Trail 0-1
Three Stars: 1) Matt Serratore 2) Scott Davidson 3) Jack Ramsey
Attendance: 1,963
Record: 21-7-1-3 (46 points) / Home: 13-2-0-2
Notes:
The Vees are now 3-0 against the Smoke Eaters and 11-3-0-1 against the Interior Division. Dalpe extended his point streak to seven games in the win; Brett Beauvais and Brad McClure saw their six-game point streaks end. Hunter Miska picked up his eleventh win and second against Trail; he’s now stopped 50 of 52 Trail shots this season. The Vees pad their lead on first place in the Interior, as they’re now three points ahead of Vernon, who were idle Wednesday; the Vees still have a game in hand on the Vipers.
Penticton now starts a three-game road trip in Chilliwack on Friday, which also sees them stop in Cowichan Valley Saturday and Victoria on Sunday afternoon. Friday’s game in Chilliwack can be heard on EZ Rock AM 800, starting with the pre-game show at 6:40pm.
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