Game #15 Preview: Vees at Centennials

Photo: Jack Murray

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Game Time: 7:05 pm

Location: Nicola Valley Memorial Arena

Radio: Bounce 800 AM

Webcast: Flo Hockey 

Season Series

Sep. 23^rd Penticton 6 at Merritt 0

Oct. 21^st Merritt 4 at Penticton 6

Nov. 4^th Penticton at Merritt, 7:05 pm

Dec. 2^nd Penticton at Merritt, 7:05 pm

Dec. 6^th Merritt at Penticton, 6:30 pm

Feb. 4^th Penticton at Merritt, 2:00 pm

Mar. 22^nd  Merritt at Penticton, 7:00 pm

Penticton Vees

GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson

Record : GP 14 11-1-1-1 (1^st, Interior)

Last Game: 5-1 win vs. Cranbrook (Nov. 3^rd)

Home: 6-0-0-0

Away: 5-1-1-1

GF: 61

GA: 36

Power Play: 14/49 (28.6%) 4^th

Penalty Kill: 13/42 (69%) 16^th

Scoring Leader: Ryan MacPherson (7-12-19)

The Penticton Vees  won their eighth in a row Friday, dispatching the Cranbrook Bucks 5-1 at the SOEC. The Vees extended their home win streak to 47 games, which dates all the way back to April 1, 2022.

Callum Arnott recorded his first career BCHL hat-trick and finished with four points. Arnott is the fifth Vee to record a hat-trick in 14 games this season. Penticton accounts for 35 percent of all hat-tricks in the BCHL this year.

James Fisher and Zack Stringer also scored last night. Fisher scored his team-leading 10^th and Stringer got his first as a Vee.

Tonight, is the third of seven meetings with the Centennials and the Vees second trip to Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Penticton picked up a 6-0 win at Merritt back on September 23^rd. Most recently, the Vees hung on for a 6-4 victory over the Centennials at the SOEC on October 21^st.

Andrew Ness gets the start in net against Merritt. Will Ingemann has started the last four games. Ness owns a 2-1 record with a 3.56 goals-against average, and .857 save percentage. Ness is looking to rebound from his last start against the Centennials on October 21^st.

Ryan MacPherson carries a nine-game point streak into tonight’s matchup. MacPherson has 12 points (2G, 10A) in his last nine games. He also has a BCHL-best eight-game assist streak. Arnott has scored in three-straight games and has five goals over that span.

Merritt Centennials

Head Coach: Brian Passmore

2023-24 : GP 15 6-7-1-1 (6^th Interior)

Last Game: 6-4 win vs. West Kelowna (Nov. 3^rd)

Home: 3-3-1-0

Away: 3-4-0-1

GF: 60

GA: 65

Power Play:  9/49 (18.4%) 12^th

Penalty Kill: 13/58 (77.6%) 9^th

Scoring Leader: Michael Felsing (5-12-17)

Merritt is 2-2-1-0 in their last five games and sit sixth in the Interior, tied on points with the fifth-place Salmon Arm Silverbacks. A win tonight, Merritt climbs back to the 500 hundred mark and will be already halfway to their win total from last season (12).

The Centennials picked up a 6-4-win Friday at home over the West Kelowna Warriors. It was a big second period for Merritt a night ago, scoring three times to take a 4-2 lead into the third period. Dylan Lariviere scored twice in the win and five Centennials had two points. 12 registered at least a single point.

Merritt is looking to snap a 22-game losing streak to Penticton. The Centennials last beat the Vees on February 15, 2019.