FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SaturdayDecember 4th
VEES SWEEPSEASON SERIES WITH 3-2 WIN OVER CENTS
PENTICTON, BC ?The Penticton Vees are done with the Merritt Centennials for the regularseason. With a 3-2 win over Cents at home the Vees took twelve of a possibletwelve points against an improved and hard working Merritt squad.
The Vees win combined with a Salmon Arm loss on Saturdayleaves the Vees three points clear of second place in an ultra tight InteriorConference. Salmon Arm has two games in hand on the Vees, but are three pointsbehind the club.
Cody DePourcq and Garrett Milan stole the show on Saturday;the pair of undersized forwards seemed to power the Vees with their hustle. Theduo were named the first and second star of the game with Milan scoring hisseventh of the season, and DePourcq wowing his hometown fans with hisrelentless work and smart play as a 15-year-old.
The Centennials opened the scoring 4:20 into the firstperiod when recently acquired 20-year-old Blaine Bokenfohr had a pass on nettipped in by Max Vallis.
The Vees would tie the game when Garrett Milan scored on thepower play after a Stecher held a puck on-side at the line and LaLeggia spottedMilan the puck at the side of the net.
The Cents would take back the lead later in the first whenStephen Wall put in an end-wall rebound off a Steve Tresierra point shot on thepower play at 14:30.
Brendan O?Donnell would get the Vees back to even groundwith his fourteenth of the season on a nice play on a two-on-one with CodyDePourcq. O?Donnell?s first shot was stopped but he rammed in his own reboundwith just 24 seconds left in the first.
After a scoreless second period the Vees would get an earlybreak in the third period with the game still knotted at twos. Derik Johnsonrimmed the puck into the Merritt zone just moments into the period, and TylerSteel ? the Centennials rookie netminder ? tried to play the puck, but had itpop off his stick to Joey Holka who zipped in a sharp ankle shot to put theVees ahead to stay. For Holka, the goal was lucky number thirteen on the season,which gave the Vees their 22nd win of the season and sole possessionof top spot in the Interior.
Mark MacMillan?s BCHL leading eight-game goal scoring streakwas halted on Saturday night, but the Penticton product did help set up theBrendan O?Donnell goal in the first frame. MacMillan has 12 goals in just 16games this season.
Joey Rumpel stopped twenty-one of twenty-three shots in thePenticton net to earn his thirteenth win of the campaign. Tyler Steel was stuckwith his ninth loss of the season allowing three goals on 25 shots against.
Both teams struck on the power play on Saturday. The Veeshad two man-advanteages, while Merritt had three.
Next Vees action comes Wednesday night when the QuesnelMillionaires pay their second visit to the SOEC. Puck drop is at 7:00 PM andthe pre-game show starts on EZ Rock AM 800 ? where you can catch all Vees gamesthis season.
The Christmas Charity Challenge runs next Friday (December10th) where over $30,000 will be given to local charities bycommunity-oriented businesses if over 4,000 Vees fans show up for the gameagainst the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Tickets to the Christmas Charity Challengeare 2-for-1 with a donation of a non-perishable food item to the Salvation Armyat the SOEC box office.
Vees game tickets can be purchased at the box office duringbusiness hours, at London Drugs, or online at ValleyFirstTix.com.
