vees:blog

It’s shaping up to be fire against fire tonight as the two of the league’s most powerful offenses square off at the SOEC.

Tonight’s match pits the 5th ranked Penticton Vees against the 6th ranked Salmon Arm Silverbacks, in the Vees first game against a nationally ranked team in the country. Both teams have been getting it done with offense, as the Vees have scored 30 goals in six games, while the Silverbacks have 24 goals in five games played.

Sean Bonar Will Attempt to Slow the Silverbacks Snipers

Heading into tonight’s action, the Vees and Silverbacks can lay claim to seven of the league’s top thirteen scorers. F - Denver Manderson (89), F - Beau Bennett (91) and F - Mark Zengerle (89) are 1-2-3 in the scoring race with 16, 14 and 11 points respectively, while F - Travis Statchuk (90) and D - Joey LaLeggia (92) have 9 points each, while F - David Killip (91) has 8 points and F - Garrett Milan (91) has 7.

Mark Zengerle was named the BCHL’s ‘Player of the Week’ on Monday after a monster 9 point weekend in the Caribou, while Vees Captain Denver Manderson was named the P.O.W. after the opening weekend of the season.

On top of the obvious stakes of facing a Conference foe, some Vees will also be looking to impress Salmon Arm GM Rylan Ferster who is part of the Team Canada West brass for the upcoming 2009 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge. Milan, LaLeggia and Bonar were named to the evaluation camp roster set for next week in Okotoks.

The Silverbacks are (3-1-0-1) with both loses coming at the hands of the Vernon Vipers, while the Vees are (5-1-0-0), suffering their lone loss in West Kelowna last weekend.

NATIONAL RANKINGS

This week’s CJHL National Rankings have been released. While the undefeated Vernon Vipers remain entrenched in the top spot (and rightfully so), the Vees have been bumped up to 5th in the country after garnering an honourable mention in the last rankings. The Salmon Arm Silverbacks are up from 7th to 6th after grabbing six points on a Northern road trip this weekend. Interesting to note the Coastal Conference of the BCHL has yet to have a team receive a mention in the rankings.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Last year’s highest scoring player from the Interior Conference, Mark Zengerle, helped the Silverbacks beat the Spruce Kings, Mills and T-Wolves this weekend as he recorded 4 goals and 5 assists this weekend. Zengerle has been named the BCHL Player of the Week by the BCHL. The 20-year-old sniper is off to Wisconsin to play for the Badgers next season, and looks like well on his way to matching his 93 points of yester-season. Zengerle played prep school hockey at Northwood School in Lake Placid, the same program that groomed former Vees Brett Hextall (UND) and Cory Schneider (Ohio State).

OTHER BCHL NOTES

The Vernon Vipers are the only team in the league that hasn’t been beaten yet at (4-0-0-0)… The Burnaby Express are still perfect in regulation (2-0-0-1)… The Trail Smoke Eaters are the lone team in the 17 team circuit without a win (0-3-0-0)… The Penticton Vees are the highest scoring club averaging 5 goals a game… The Vernon Vipers and Langley Chiefs are the toughest to score goals against, as both clubs have allowed just 7 goals in 4 games played (1.8 G/GP)… The Spruce Kings have allowed the most goals (5.6 GA/GP)… While the Smoke Eaters have struggled mightily in lighting the lamp (1.3GF/G)… The Quesnel Millionaires, Merritt Centennials and Williams Lake Timberwolves have only played home games to this point… Every player in the top 10 in league scoring plays in the Interior Conference (3 Vees, 3 Warriors, 3 Silverbacks, 1 Viper)… Vees have the top ranked PP (39%)… Alberni Valley Bulldogs have the worst PP (1/25, 4%)… The Merritt Centennials have the top PK (92%)… The Trail Smoke Eater have the weakest (50%)…

The BCHL has announced that Curtis McKenzie is the Player of the Week for the stretch of February 16th to 22nd.

C-Mac was a force all week scoring 5 goals (he also has 3 assists) in the final 3 games to hit 30 on the season. The 17-year-old forward from Golden, BC is committed to Miami of Ohio, and has exploded this season after scoring 3 goals last year as a 16-year-old rookie.

McKenzie who was given the ‘C’ after Denver Manderson’s injury, has 26 points in his last 19 games and 11 goals and 4 assists in 11 games as Captain inlcuding his 1st BCHL hattrick and 1st BCHL 4 point game.

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Playoff Previews, Vees BCHL Award Winners, Highlights, and Coach Harbinson on the pending match-up with the Prince George Spruce Kings.

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With the curtain set to close on 2008 why not take a look back at last season’s 2008 Fred Page Cup Champion Alumni. We’ve been keeping tabs throughout the year on the weekly Radio Show, but here is a full blog update.

NCAA DIVISION I

Brett Hextall, F - North Dakota Fighting Sioux (WCHA) 20GP (6-5-11) 43 PIM

Zac Dalpe, F - Ohio State Buckeyes (CCHA) 18GP (9-4-13) 6 PIM

Alex Evin, G - Colgate Raiders (ECAC) 5GP (1-2-0) 2.87 GAA, .892 SP

Austin Smith, F - Colgate Raiders (ECAC) 16GP (8-6-14) 16 PIM

Cory Schneider, F - Ohio State Buckeyes (CCHA) 10GP (0-1-1) 0 PIM

Eric Kroshus, F - Harvard Crimson (ECAC) 10GP (0-0-0) 0 PIM

Trevor Nill, F - Michigan State Spartans (CCHA) 16GP (1-1-2) 4 PIM

CIS

Nic Knudsen, D - Concordia Stingers (OUA) 13GP (0-0-0) +3, 40 PIM

GERMAN OBERLIGA (3rd Division)

Michael Hengen, D - Deggendorf Fire 20GP (1-16-17) 10 PIM

NCAA DIVISION III

Michael Guzzo, F - Curry Colonels (ECAC Northeast) 9GP (4-3-7) 10 PIM

WHL

James Bettauer, D - Chilliwack Bruins 38GP (1-2-3) -17, 14 PIM

BCHL

Nathan Westover, D - Burnaby Express 35GP (4-11-15) 24 PIM

Vinny Muchalla, F - Prince George Spruce Kings 5GP (0-1-1) 9 PIM

Anthony Perdicaro, F - Cowichan Valley Capitals 36GP (11-16-27) 95 PIM

MJHL

Bryan Mountain, G - Portage Terriers 38GP (22-4-0-0) 2.46 GAA, .914 SP

CURRENT VEES

Denver Manderson, Zack Josepher, Devon Krogh, Elias Grossmann, Curtis McKenzie, Mitch Labreche

NOT PLAYING

Ryan Wagner, Kyle McMurphy

2008… A year to remember!

Vees Party #3 is tonight at Boston Pizza from 7-8 in Penticton.

Jordan White, Erik Slemp, Derik Johnson, Logan Johnston, Adam Zamec and the BCHL’s player of the week Brodie Reid will be in attendance to sign autographs and give out tips for the monthly hockey pool.

Also, we’ll have NHL hockey on TV and all sorts of prizes to be won.

See you there!

Vees Sniper Brodie Reid is looking very comfortable in his new silks. The Northeastern committed forward - who will represent the Coastal Conference at the Jan 14th All-Star Game - has scored 5 goals in his last three games and has 6 points in his 5 games with the Vees since being acquired for Brent Vandenberg and future considerations.

The Vees have had two of the last three Players of the Week in the BCHL as Denver Manderson earned the honour two weeks ago.

Here’s the BCHL’s weekly segment for the P.O.W..

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