FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, January 6th
VEES COME ON STRONG; ROLL PAST CHIEFS 6-2
CHILLIWACK, BC- The top line each scored once and the Vees scored three times in just under eight minutes to start the third, to knock off the Chilliwack Chiefs 6-2 on Friday night at Prospera Centre in the Fraser Valley.
The win extends the Vees franchise best winning streak to 20 games; their 13th straight victory away from home as well.
Chilliwack actually was the first to score, breaking a scoreless affair twelve minutes into the first period on a bang-bang play in front of the Vees net.
Trevor Hills, from his stomach, poked the puck from behind the goal in front to Garrett Forster, who beat Mike Garteig with a quick shot on the blocker side at 12:13.
Despite outshooting and out chancing the Chiefs, the Vees went into the first intermission trailing Chilliwack by one.
Early in the second period Penticton put the game back on even terms when Mike Reilly finished off a nifty individual effort just over two minutes in.
Reilly kept a clearing attempt in at the point and stick handled his way to the goal and tucked a back-hand over the glove of Mitch Gillam at 2:09; Reilly’s 17th of the year and third in as many games.
Connor Reilly followed suit, putting the Vees ahead for the first time in the game six minutes later after he converted a quick three-on-two passing play.
Ryan Reilly broke in the Chiefs zone and quickly played a give-and-go with Connor who forced a shot through Gillam’s legs; his 27th and a 2-1 lead for Penticton at 8:20.
The Chiefs came back with a power-play and leveled less than five minutes after Connor’s tally.
Derek Huisman converted a cross-zone pass from Malcolm Gould at 12:13 of the second period; putting a quick shot through Garteig’s five-hole.
However the Vees would take a lead into the second intermission as Steven Fogarty beat not only Gillam but the clock.
In the dying seconds of the middle frame, Fogarty danced around a defender on a left-wing rush and took the puck hard to the net before wristing a shot past the blocker of the Chiefs netminder at 19:39; Fogarty collecting his 17th and giving the Vees a one goal lead heading into the final period.
Travis St. Denis kicked-off the scoring in the third period; giving the Vees some breathing room by picking up his 24th goal of the season on a Connor Reilly rebound at 1:50. St. Denis drove the net for a rebound and jammed a loose puck past the blocker of Gillam.
Just thirty-two seconds later, the Vees brought the puck back in the Chiefs zone and capitalized in little time. Mario Lucia scored on a near identical play that St. Denis did seconds earlier. After blast from Connor Reilly was stopped, Lucia corralled a loose puck on the block-side and forced it through Gillam and in at 2:22.
Penticton closed out the scoring a short while later, on a skilled play by Joey Benik. The Assistant Captain, stick handled through and around two defenders before beating Gillam on well-placed wrist-shot on the glove side at 8:47.
Final Score: 6-2 Penticton
Shots: 45-26 Penticton
Power-Plays: Penticton 0-4 Chilliwack 1-3
Three Stars: 1) Travis St. Denis 2) Connor Reilly 3) Michael Spring
Hardest Working Vee: Nick Buchanan
The win improves the Vees record to 32-3-0-2 and their road record jumps to
17-3-0-1.
Penticton concludes their mini two game weekend road trip Saturday night in Salmon Arm with a matchup against the Silverbacks.
Penticton’s next home game is the 13th of January when the Langley Rivermen make their first and only visit to the SOEC this season; game time is 7pm and tickets can be purchased at the SOEC box office, or online at www.valleyfirsttix.com
.
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
