FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, March 16TH
VEES TAKE GAME ONE OVER CHIEFS
PENTICTON, BC- The Penticton Vees scored three goals in the first and three in the third, as they toppled the Chilliwack Chiefs 6-1 in game one on Friday night.
The win gives the Vees a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Interior Conference Semi-Final series.
Troy Stecher opened the scoring just past the five minute mark of the first period; his point-shot finding the corner above Mitch Gillam’s blocker. The goal was the first for Stecher against the Chiefs dating back to the regular season.
Shortly there-after, Steven Fogarty doubled the Vees lead when he swatted in a rebound at 7:21; a Mario Lucia shot deflected off Gillam’s glove, popped high in the air and dropped right to the awaiting Fogarty.
Wade Murphy capped off the first period barrage when he converted on another rebound at 8:58. Murphy took a Ryan Reilly rebound and wired a wrist-shot in the opening net past a fallen Gillam.
Penticton ran into penalty trouble in the second period, going short-handed five times but killed of each of the Chiefs power-plays, as both teams skated to a scoreless twenty minutes.
Still short-handed to start the third period, the Vees increased their lead to four when Bryce Gervais snuck a wrist-shot under the glove of Gillam just forty-nine seconds into the period, on a strong individual effort.
Spencer Graboski pulled Chilliwack within three goals with a power-play marker at 1:22; Graboski putting the puck in after a scramble in front of Chad Katunar on a play with considerable confusion due to a play-clock error.
That’s as close as the Chiefs would get as Wade Murphy and Bryce Gervais each scored power-play goals five and half minutes apart. Murphy snuck a shot from the slot through the legs of Gillam at 5:02 for his second of the game. Gervais put the game away with a well-placed wrist-shot from middle of the zone at 10:35, also his second goal of the contest.
FINAL SCORE:6-1 Vees
Shots: 41-17 Vees
Power-Plays: Vees 2/7 Chiefs 1/6
Attendance: 2,524
Three Stars: 1) Chad Katunar 2) Bryce Gervais 3) Joey Benik
Valley First Goal Donation Grand Total: $3, 170
Hardest Working Vee: Curtis Loik
The Vees are back in action Saturday, March 17th when they host the Chilliwack Chiefs in game two of their Interior Conference Semi-Final Series.
The pre-game show on EZ Rock AM 800 starts twenty minutes prior to puck drop; you can also tune in on MyEZRock.com, and at BCHL.ca where both the audio stream and Pay-Per-View video are available.
CONTACT: FRASER RODGERS
Director of Broadcasting, Media Relations
Penticton Vees Hockey Club
FraserRodgers@gmail.com(250) 809-1390
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