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Saturday, February 2, 2013
Penticton, BC– The Penticton Vees took full advantage of a short-staffed Coquitlam Express side, as their offense exploded for 11goals in a lopsided win Saturday at the SOEC. Saturday’s win was the Vees seventh in a row and eighth in their last nine games.
The seven game winning streak is a new BCHL best, as the Vees twice won six games in a row; only matched by Prince George and Chilliwack.
The Express only dressed nine forwards and 15 skaters, due to a string of injuries. The Vees didn’t waste the opportunity, scoring five goals in the first and another six in the second, to quickly put the game out of reach.
Wade Murphy led all scorers with two goals and seven points and momentarily moves to fifth in league scoring with 57 points in 40 games. Seven Vees had multiple point nights and 13 of 18 skaters had at least one point.
Jedd Soleway opened the scoring just past the five minute mark of the first, as he tapped in a back-door fed from Wade Murphy at 5:11. The Vees wasted little time in doubling their lead, as Troy Stecher put the Vees up by a pair just 44 seconds later. Stecher’s seeing-eye wrist-shot from the right-wall found its way past Cole Huggins on the blocker-side.
Travis Blanleil marked his return to the Vees line-up with a goal a handful of minutes later. Cam Amantea took the puck away from the defender from behind the net and fed Blanleil at the side of the goal for his fifth at 8:43. Blanleil scoring his first goal since December 14th and was playing his first game since December 29th; missing the last nine games due to a lower-body injury.
The Vees power-play added two more goals later in the opening frame. Jedd Soleway scored his second of the period at 9:19; Soleway finishing off a nice setup on the doorstep from John Siemer. Soleway’s 13th and the Vees fourth goal coming just 36 seconds after Blanleil’s tally. Cody DePourcq capped the first period scoring with a power-play goal of his own at 13:35. DePourcq found a loose puck at the post and potted his 11th and his sixth in his last five games, as he shoveled the biscuit past an outstretched Huggins on the goal-line.
The Vees continued the onslaught in the second period, led by Wade Murphy who notched two of the Vees six goals. Murphy scored the Vees sixth goal at 3:14 when he rifled a wrist-shot underneath the cross-bar. He wasn’t done there, picking up his second of the period at 8:28. Murphy took a pass from James de Haas and fired a laser up high on Huggins for his 20th. The goal would spell the end of Cole Huggins night, as he was replaced by Daniel Urbani after allowing seven goals on 24 shots.
The goaltending change didn’t stop the bleeding, as Sam Mellor and Brad McClure teamed up for two power-play goals less than two minutes apart. Mellor got the Vees eighth goal on a nice one-timer from the left-circle at 12:44; McClure threading the back-door pass from the right-wing. Mellor than setup McClure on a blast from the right-point at 12:48. Off the face-off, McClure leaned into a shot from the blue-line that sizzled over the arm of Urbani for his 24th; the Vees up by nine.
James de Haas and Cam Amantea put the finishing touches on the scoring, as the two scored the Vees tenth and eleventh goals within the final minute of the second stanza. de Haas finished off a two-on-rush with Wade Murphy as he deflected a centering pass between the legs of Urbani at 19:11. Amantea beat the clock on a wrist-shot from the right-circle at 19:41, as he flipping the puck over the beleaguered Express goalie.
FINAL SCORE: 11-0 Vees
Shots: 40-18 Vees
Power-Play: Vees 4-8 Express 0-2
Three Stars: 1) Wade Murphy 2) Troy Stecher 3) Jedd Soleway
Attendance: 1,617
Wade Murphy now has 20 goals and 57 points, reclaiming the Vees scoring lead; one point up on John Siemer. Cody DePourcq extended his scoring streak to five games but didn’t score the Vees first goal; that four game streak coming to an end. Chad Katunar picked up his fourth shutout and twenty-third win with an 18 save performance.
The Vees record moves to 31-11-0-3 and sit 11 points up on Merritt for top spot in the Interior Division; Merritt still playing at press time. The Vees now finish with a 7-4-0 record versus the Mainland Division; 4-1 at home. The 11 goals is the first time since March 6th of last year the Vees hit double-digits.
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