vees:blog

Bad news from Merritt.

The wireless internet is not operational yet.

No live blogging tonight.

We’ll talk Wednesday from the SOEC.

The Penticton Vees opened the 2009/2010 season with three exhibition wins in Trail over the weekend.

The Vees were one of four Junior ‘A’ teams from the Pacific region in attendance for the three day pre-season round robin in the Kootenays.

The Vees opened up the tournament with a decisive 7-3 win over the Powell River Kings of the Coastal Conference on Friday afternoon. Saturday, the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League were bested by the Vees 5-2, in a physical affair that featured three fights. Sunday, the Vees wrapped up the weekend event with a 4-2 win against the host Trail Smoke Eaters who hadn’t been beaten at home by Penticton since January of 2008.

Billy Faust allowed five goals in 120 minutes of ice time and earned a pair of wins between the pipes for Penticton, while Joel Rumpel allowed just a pair of markers in his lone start for the Vees.

Offensively 19-year-old winger Joey Holka led the way with 4 goals and an assist in 3 games played. The 2nd year forward from Phoenix also got into a fight in a weekend Gordie Howe would be proud of.

Boston Bruins draft pick and new Vees forward Ben Sexton didn’t suit up this weekend.Likewise for Captain Denver Manderson, Boston College committed defender Isaac MacLeod, alternate Captain Adam Zamec and Ivy League bound netminder Sean Bonar. With some important pieces on the sidelines the Vees coaching staff got a long look at some younger players fighting for jobs on this year’s squad.

The Vees emerged from Trail with the top record in the Round Robin going (3-0-0-0) while no other club collected more than one victory.

Up next for the Vees is a pair of games with the new look Merritt Centennials. The Cents host the Vees in the Nicola Valley Arena Monday night, before the Vees return the favour on Wednesday at 7:05 from the SOEC.

The Vees will close out their seven game pre-season schedule with a home and home against the Westside Warriors, with the Vees playing host on Friday Night at the SOEC, puck drop is 7:05.

Assistant Coach David Small checked in with his thoughts after the Vees 5-2 against Brooks.

Listen Now:

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LUKE CURADI WITH THE NEW JERSEY LAST NIGHT

MURRAY MAXWELL APPROVES

BOB POND WARMING UP LAST NIGHT

Fashion Notes:

* New jersey has no stripes at the waist or on the sleeves (soooooo 2007).

* Tampa Bay template was used with PENTICTON written over the Vees crest and the of course the same colour scheme.

* Lettering and numbers may drive you batty if you aren’t sporting 20/20 vision (often a broadcaster’s complaint, fans may not care as much).