Game Preview: Vees at Vernon Vipers (Game Three)

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Game Time: 8:15 pm PST

Location: Kal Tire Place, Vernon

Radio: Bounce 800 AM

Webcast: Flo Hockey 

Penticton Vees

GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson

Regular Season Record : GP 54 38-10-3-3, 1^st in the Interior Conference

Playoff Record: 6-0

Last Game: 3-1 win vs. Vernon (Apr. 20)

Home: 4-0

Away: 2-0

GF: 24

GA: 17

Power Play: (2/11) 18.2%

Penalty Kill: (10/12) 83.3%

Scoring Leaders: Anselmo Rego (4-1-5)

After a pair of wins to open their Interior Division Semi-Final this past weekend, the Penticton Vees now get ready to hit the road as the scene shifts to Vernon.

They do so with their sights set on a series stranglehold over the Vipers, with a pivotal Game Three on deck Tuesday night from the North Okanagan. It will be a late start, as scheduling issues with a local hockey tournament pushes the start times at Kal-Tire Place to 8:15 pm for Games Three and Four.

The Vees can take solace in the fact they carry a 2-0 series lead into Game 3 after a pair of solid efforts over the weekend at the SOEC. It’s a series lead that didn’t come easy with Vernon opening the scoring in each of the first two games.

In Game One they trailed by a pair of goals before mounting a comeback to force overtime. Anselmo Rego scored early in the game before the Vipers took a 3-1 lead. Just before the second intermission Billy Renfrew added a power play goal to cut the deficit in half, and late in the third co-Captain Callum Arnott scored with a seeing eye shot to tie the game at three with 2:02 on the clock. Rego then scored his second of the night, a shorthanded overtime goal, to complete the comeback in Game One.

Saturday night, Penticton was forced to play from behind. Vernon scored the first goal of the game, a bank job from the corner by George Stavrianeas that hit a body in front and beat Andrew Ness. It was the only one the Vipers would get as Zack Stringer would tie the game 1:18 later. After a scoreless second period, James Fisher and Simon Meier scored unanswered goals early in the third period to give the Vees a 3-1 lead. Penticton would clamp down defensively after the lead and went on to win and earn the 2-0 series lead.

In both games on the weekend the Vees focused on a defensive effort. They allowed only 11 high danger chances over the pair of games.

Penticton will be icing the same lineup as Game Two, outside of the goaltending rotation. Will Ingemann gets his second start of the series and is 3-0 in the BCHL Playoffs, with a 1.43 goals-against average and .934 save percentage.

Vernon Vipers

Assistant Coaches: Colton Sparrow, Lukas Lomicky

Regular Season Record: GP 54 33-19-2-0, 4^th in the Interior Conference

Playoff Record: 4-2

Last Game: 4-3 OTL at Penticton (Apr. 19)

Home: 3-0

Away: 1-2

GF: 23

GA: 14

Power Play: 4/16 25%

Penalty Kill: 14/19 73.7%

Scoring Leader: Owen Kim (5-3-8)

Vernon looks to turn their fortunes around on home ice. The Vipers are 3-0 at Kal-Tire Place in the playoffs and are 6-0-1-0 in their last seven home games dating back to the regular season. In their three home playoff wins, the Vipers have outscored the opposition 13-4.

The Vipers had two good starts last weekend, scoring the first goal in each of the two games, yet find themselves in. a 2-0 hole. Vernon, who was a very good finishing team in round one, have yet to score in the third period in this series, as they have been outscored 3-0 in the final period.

Vernon was upset and rightfully so in that third period on Saturday. The Vees’ third goal by Simon Meier looked to have hit the netting above the glass but the whistle never blew and play continued. That eventually led to Meier’s goal that made it 3-1, which came 1:43 after Penticton made it 2-1.

Vernon’s second line has had a solid start to this series. Georgios Stavrianeas, Isaac Tremblay, and Owen Kim have combined for two goals and four points in two games.

Goaltender Ethan David has a .911 save percentage through two games this series. He has stopped 72 of 79 shots so far.