FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
VEES END NOVEMBER ON A WINNING NOTE
PENTICTON, BC-Brad McClure and Troy Stecher both picked up two points and Chad Katunar shutout Salmon Arm for the second time this season, as the Penticton Vees blanked the Silverbacks 3-0 Wednesday.
The 3-0 whitewash is the Vees fourth straight over Salmon Arm and their second in a row after Saturday’s 3-1 win in Vernon. With the win, the Vees improve to 14-3 against their own division and 7-2 at home against Interior opponents.
Brad McClure opened the scoring just over seven minutes into the first period. The forward corralled a rebound in-tight and put a backhand past Adam Clark at 7:08. McClure scoring his 16th of the season on a nifty fore-hand, backhand deke.
The Vees carried a 1-0 lead into the intermission, out-shooting the visitors by a slim margin of 9-7. However, the Vees were dinged with two penalties late in the opening frame, and would have to start the second killing-off a 5-on-3 Silverbacks power-play.
Salmon Arm failed to score on the 55 second two-man advantage and it would come back to haunt them. After successfully killing-off the run of Salmon Arm power-plays, the Vees doubled their lead on a gaffe by Adam Clark behind the Silverbacks net. Clarke bobbled the puck and was intercepted by Cam Amantea, who moved out front and patiently outwaited a scrambling Clarke, before banking the puck in at 5:35. Amantea’s fourth of the season and second in as many games.
Troy Stecher added some insurance not even four-minutes later, when he ripped a slap-shot past Clark at 9:34. Stecher leaned into a shot from the right-wing that sizzled past Clark’s glove and off the cross-bar; Stecher’s fourth and second against Salmon Arm in four games.
The two teams skated to a scoreless third period, the Silverbacks outshooting the Vees 11-5, but rarely threatening Chad Katunar, as he stopped all 27 shots faced for his third shutout of the season.
FINAL SCORE: 3-0 VEES
Shots: 27-23 Salmon Arm
Power-Plays: Vees 0-2 Salmon Arm 0-5
Three Stars: 1) Chad Katunar 2) Troy Stecher 3) Brad McClure
Attendance: 1,202
Vees Notes:Troy Stecher’s two points gives him seven against the Silverbacks this season, a team best; one ahead of Sam Mellor.
With the win, the Vees finish with a 5-5-0 record in the month of November and push their overall record to 18-7-0-2; 10 points up on idle Merritt at the top of the Interior Division.
Up Next:The Vees are back in action on Saturday, December 1st when they make a trip to Salmon Arm; puck drop is 7pm. The Vees next home game is December 7th when the Merritt Centennials make their second visit to the SOEC. Tickets are available at the Valley First box office at the SOEC, or online at www.valleyfirsttix.com
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