vees:blog

RUMPEL A BADGER

Vees back-up netminder Joel Rumpel is the 16th member of the Vees (including ‘AP’ forward Steve Iacobellis) to secure a college commitment. The 18-year-old puck stopper from Swift Current was in Madison Wisconsin this past weekend (on a ‘fly-down’) to see the Badgers. His trip just happened to coincide with an outdoor game against Michigan attended by more than 50,000 fans. Cool.

No surprise then, that Joel committed to the Badgers - a team known for it’s great legacy of goaltending alumni (Richter, Carey, Joseph & Elliott among others). Pencil Rumpel int the Badgers line-up for the 2011/2012 season. Uncle Roy must be proud; he helped recruit Joel to Penticton and was a Badger puck-stopper himself!

Congrats to the rookie, and raise your hand if you can name another team with two comitted goalies in Canada. (Didn’t think so)

EVIN NAMED ECAC G.O.W.

Staying between the pipes, Alex Evin was named the ECAC puck stopper of the week today. After fighting through injuries earlier in the season, ‘the Old Man’ has dialed it in with the Colgate Raiders since Christmas.

If you’ve been following our weekly NCAA Updates this is no surprise.

CJHL RANKINGS

Vees remain 3rd… blah blah blah blah blah bla baljhaslhdbaklshakl;sdjkasf56*%^ (*$^&*%$#%^

PHONER WITH RECRUIT BENIK

I dialed up Vees super-recruit Joey Benik today. The 17-year-old sniper holds the record for most goals in Minnesota High School Hockey. Wowza! The St. Cloud State recruit may have the chance to play with Garrett Milan and Joey Holka next year. The ‘Huskies line’?!?!

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Vees Sophomore Garrett Milan is known for his blazing speed, crafty moves, a rocket of a shot, and of course his ability to put the puck in the net. Yet, his size and stature are just as eye-catching as his immense skill set.

Much like Theo Fleury and Martin St. Louis, you can’t help but mention his size in the description of his fierce play.

Garrett and I swung by Burger 55 a few days ago to try to embody all of his traits into a burger.

In honour of the little guy with the huge heart, the gang at Burger 55 (see below) present: The Milan Burger - Smaller in Stature, but All The Meat!

The Milan Burger comes on a smaller kids bun but is packed with two patties, double cheese and bacon!

The birth of the Milan Burger

Chris working on a Milan Burger

The Money Shot!

#22 and his creation

Chomp!

Team Burger 55

The Milan Burger is available in the ’shorter’ month of February at Burger 55 located on Westminster East, just off Main and Front (a block East of Starbucks).

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The Penticton Vees are back within two points of the Vernon Vipers after a gutsy 4-0 win in Salmon Arm on Saturday.

Joey LaLeggia had two assists to stretch his point streak to 14 games!

With a depleted line up featuring just nine forwards, the Vees put forth a disciplined and thorough effort to earn their 43rd win of the season. Denver Manderson and Eric Filiou did not make the trip to the Shuswap, while Alex Szczechura is still out, but travelled with the team.

The Silverbacks were short-staffed on Saturday as well, playing with just four defenders healthy. Greg Noyes always seemed to be on the ice, with Matt Ridley, Josh Monk, and Jayson Reardon out of the line-up due to injury.

Special teams were the difference in the game as the visitors struck twice on the man advantage and twice short handed. The Vees finished 2/5 on the power play and killed off all five Salmon Arm power plays.

Joey Holka had a power play goal in the first period, set up by Beau Bennett and Joey LaLeggia. For Holka, it was his 25th goal of his sophomore season, while Joey LaLeggia extended his point streak to fourteen games.

In the second period Ben Sexton wired a short handed goal from the top of the circle, it was one of two ‘shorties’ he scored on the night and bumped the Vees short handed total from four to six on the season.

In the third period Beau Bennett whipped in his 21st power play goal of the season from what looked like an impossible angle. The BCHL’s leading rookie scorer now has 34 goals and 97 points on the season.

For Sean Bonar, his 3rd shutout of the season couldn’t have come at a better time. The Princeton bound puck-stopper set aside all nineteen shots directed his way and kept the Vees in the thick of the race for first place with the Vernon Vipers.

The Vipers are two points up on the Vees with the final two games of the season series remaining, and just seven games left for each club. The clubs next square off on Friday night in Vernon.

Up next for the Vees is a Tuesday trip to Trail, where the Vees are (1-0-0-1) this season. Opening faceoff is at 7:30 while the Underwriters Insurance Pre-Game Show starts at 7:10 on EZ ROCK, MyEZRock.com, and BCHL.ca.

Ben Sexton is quietly turning in a very solid second half of the season. Since December 19th the Bruins draft pick of yester-June has 6 goals and 19 points.

Those numbers are good, but on Thursday he raised the bar at the bowling lanes!

I caught up with Ben before practice today.

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The Vees are looking for some help from the Powell River Kings in the race for top spot in the Interior Conference, after losing 4-1 to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs on Wednesday.

Kevin Ross had two assists on Wednesday

Following just the third home loss in regulation this season, the Vees remain a single point back of the Vernon Vipers, who now hold a game in hand in the quest for the lone bye in the Interior. Vernon is in Powell River to face the Kings tonight, who can do the Vees a huge favour with a win.

Local boys Mitch and Mark MacMillan had quite a homecoming in front of 1,782 fans at the SOEC - each nabbing a goal in the Bulldogs 41st win of the campaign. The Bulldogs scored three of their four goals on the power play, and killed off all seven Penticton power plays in a special teams exhibition.

David Dzuirzynski was the games first star setting up the first three Alberni goals. The Lloydminster product now has 48 assists on the season, which ties him for top spot on the Bulldogs roster.

Sick bay in the Penticton Vees locker room continues to be a popular place in the new year. After Eric Filiou was diagnosed with Mono a the turn of the calendar, Alex Szczechura and Denver Manderson were bumped from the line-up last week in Merritt, and Wednesday saw Beau Bennett leave Wednesday’s game late in the second period with a minor injury.

Bennett is a safe bet for a return to the line-up on Saturday, while Manderson and Szczechura aren’t far behind. The next update on Eric Filiou comes early next week.

Sean Bonar stopped 17 of 21 shots and suffered his seventh loss of the year. Frank Slubowski made a few great stops early, but needed just sixteen saves to hold the Vees to a single goal and earn his 30th win of the season.

Ben Sexton scored the Vees lone tally late in the first period – which tied the game at a goal apiece. Sexton circled the offensive zone after taking a pass from Joey LaLeggia and ended up stuffing in a wrap around goal – his ninth of the season.

With the assist on the play LaLeggia’s point streak is now up to 13 games, which leads all BCHLers.

Next action for the Vees comes on Saturday night in Salmon Arm. The Silverbacks have beaten the Vees in each of their last two matches, but have struggled in recent weeks.

The Underwriters Insurance Pre-Game Show starts at 6:40 from the Sunwave Centre in the Shuswap, with the opening draw at 7:00. You can catch each Vees game on EZ Rock AM 800 in Penticton, and online at MyEZRock.com or BCHL.ca

DALPE P.O.M.

Fresh off his Vees Blog NCAA 1st Star of the Week (surely the highest of all hockey honours), Zac Dalpe has been named the CCHA player of the month. Dalpe leads the Buckeyes in scoring and is nominated for the Hober Baker (VOTE HERE).

JOEL THE BADGER?

Joel Rumpel may be following in the footsteps of Uncle Roy, who ran the Vees office just two years ago, and is the current GM and Part Owner of the Osoyoos Coyotes. Joel is billeted with Roy and Val Schultz this year and might be getting some words of wisdom from his uncle, who tended the nets for the Wisconsin Badgers way back from ‘78 to ‘80. CollegeHockey247.com has news on Joel’s pending ‘fly-down’ to Madison, Wisconsin; and all sorts of other tid-bits for NCAA Hockey addicts!

More on the MacMillan Boys

Emanuel Sequeira has more on the MacMillan boys’ return to Penticton. Mitch is leading the BCHL in goals scored (55), Mark is second in rookie scoring (70 points).

STEVIE I.

Vees ‘AP’ forward Steve Iacobellis has been praticing with the big club this week and will play his second BCHL game tonight. Iacobellis currently captains the Vancouver Northwest Giants (BC Major Midget) and is committed to University of Nebraska at Omaha. Steve looked good in a limited role on January 16th in a 4-3 loss to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.