Game Preview: GM #16 Vees at Cranbrook Bucks

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Game Time: 6:00 pm PST

Location: Western Financial Place, Cranbrook

Radio: Bounce 800 AM

Webcast: Flo Hockey 

Season Series

Oct. 13^th Penticton 4 at Cranbrook 2

Nov. 3^rd Cranbrook 1 at Penticton 5

Nov. 10^th Penticton at Cranbrook, 6:00 pm

Jan. 13^th Cranbrook at Penticton, 6:00 pm

Feb. 24^th Penticton at Cranbrook, 6:00 pm

Penticton Vees

GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson

Record : GP 15 12-1-1-1 (1^st, Interior)

Last Game: 5-2 win at Merritt (Nov. 4^th)

Home: 6-0-0-0

Away: 6-1-1-1

GF: 66

GA: 38

Power Play: 15/53 (28.3%) 6^th

Penalty Kill: 14/45 (68.9%) 16^th

Scoring Leader: Callum Arnott (9-11-20)

The Penticton Vees look to extend their win streak to 10, as they visit the Cranbrook Bucks at Western Financial Place. Tonight, is the third of five meetings between the two teams and second in a week.

Last Friday, the Vees beat the Bucks 5-1 at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Forward Callum Arnott recorded his first career hat-trick and finished with four points. Zack Stringer and James Fisher also scored in the win.

Tonight, is Penticton’s second of three trips to Cranbrook this season. The Vees earned a 4-2 come-from-behind win over the Bucks in their first visit back on October 13^th. The Vees were down 2-0 in that game before storming back for four unanswered goals, three in the third period. Arnott leads the Vees with five points (3-2-5) in two games against Cranbrook.

Ryan MacPherson carries a 10-game point streak into tonight’s game. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect has 13 points (2G, 11A) in his last 10. He also has as a nine-game assist streak that’s now the longest streak in the BCHL this season.

Andrew Ness makes his second consecutive start in goal for the Vees and is coming off a 20-save win over the Merritt Centennials last Saturday. Ness is 3-1 with a 3.26 goals-against average and .866 save percentage. Ness will be backed up by Sharky Nowek, as the 17-year-old Penticton product dresses in his first BCHL game. Will Ingemann is in Penticton preparing for his start tomorrow against Trail.

Not only has the Vees won nine in a row, but they have also won their last five road games. Penticton’s last road defeat was in Powell River back on September 30^th, when they lost 3-2 in the shootout.

CRANBROOK BUCKS

GM & Head Coach: Ryan Donald

2023-24 : GP 16 4-11-1-0 (8^th, Interior)

Last Game: 2-1 win at West Kelowna (Nov. 4^th)

Home: 1-5-1-0

Away: 3-6-0-0

GF: 39

GA: 68

Power Play: 10/51 (19.6%) 9^th

Penalty Kill: 15/59 (74.6%) 13^th

Scoring Leader: Noah Urness (8-3-11)

 The Bucks snapped their six-game losing streak last Saturday, beating the West Kelowna Warriors 2-1 in overtime at Royal LePage Place. That was a big win for Cranbrook, after starting the three-game road trip with losses to Vernon (10-2) and Penticton (5-1).

Tonight, kicks-off a four-game home stand for Ryan Donald’s team. After tonight, the Bucks play Trail Sunday, then host Cowichan Valley and Nanaimo next weekend. It’s an important home stretch for the Bucks as they are just 1-4-1-0 in six games at Western Financial Place this season. Their lone win at home came back on October 20^th against the Smoke Eaters.

Offence has been hard to come by for the Bucks this season, as they sit 15^th out of 17 teams with just 39 goals in 16 games. They’re averaging just under two and a half goals per game. No player on their roster is averaging a point per-game or better, as rookie forward Noah Urness leads the team with 11 points through 16 games.