vees:blog

The Penticton Vees have returned home with three of four points from a two game, three-day coastal road swing.

After suffering a 2-1 overtime setback in Powell River on Friday, the Vees beat Burnaby 3-1 in the lower mainland on Saturday to sweep their season series with the Express.

Rookie sensation Beau Bennett recorded his first BCHL hat trick, striking twice on the power play in the second period and once into an empty net to ice the game late in the third. Bennett now has 20 goals in just 24 games and trails just 20-year-olds Trevor Bailey (Westside) and Mitch MacMillan (Alberni Valley) in goals scored this season.

Denver Manderson had a pair of assists in the win, and now sits just 3 points back of Mark Zengerle with a game in hand for the BCHL lead in points.

The Vees penalty kill stood tall early in Burnaby as Luke Curadi was given a two-minute and five-minute penalty as well as a ten-minute misconduct for an altercation with former Vees pest Luke Challier in the first period. The Vees were short handed for seven minutes straight including two minutes down two-men when Matt Paltridge took a minor. The Vees ended up surrendering just a single goal on six Burnaby opportunities.

The Vees power play finished 2 for 8 with Bennett notching both goals scored while up a man. Burnaby got their lone goal on the power play in the first period as former Vees defender James Bettauer popped in his first of the season in just his second game of the year.

Joel Rumpel earned his tenth victory of the season on Saturday as he stopped 21 of 22 shots. The rookie net-minder has ten win and just two losses, a 2.01 GAA, and a .922 Save Percentage.

Absent from the line-up for the Vees was Bo Dolan, who will be out until the New Year with a lower body injury, and Sean Bonar who is recovering from the Swine Flu.

Next up for the Vees is a three game weekend that kicks off Friday with the Williams Lake Timberwolves in town. Saturday Prince George makes their first visit to the SOEC this season, and Sunday afternoon the Vees play in Trail in their maiden trip to Cominco Arena this season.

You can catch all the Vees action on Penticton’s Hockey Home EZ Rock AM 800, on MyEZRock.com or at the BCHL.ca Audio Scoreboard.

Twice this season the Penticton Vees have gone to overtime and twice they they’ve been defeated. Friday Night in Powell River the Vees lost 2-1 with the eventual OT winner bouncing in off a skate to spoil a comeback bid.

Bo Dolan was injured in the OT Loss to Powell River

Alex Szczechura score the game tying goal in the third period, tapping in a puck that Denver Manderson had blasted through Josh Watson, but the Vees could only come up with one point on the night.

Andrew Pettitt’s winner in extra time caromed in off a Powell River skate, but after conferring with his linesman, the referee call the play a goal, which likely indicated no kicking motion, and a legal goal.

Another tough bounce put the Vees down 1-0 late in the second period as Ben Schmidt notched his 7th goal of the season short handed. Denver Manderson won a draw in the offensive zone back to the point, where the puck hopped over the stick of a Vees point-man setting up Schmidt on a short handed break.

While the Vees get a point on the night in an OT loss, their biggest setback may be the loss of Bo Dolan who was taken to hospital after a lower body injury sidelined him in the second period. Dolan is out indefinitely but is in good spirits. His service may be lost for the season.

Josh Watson was spectacular in net for Powell River, setting aside 32 of 33 shots he faced from the Vees. In the crease for the Vees, Joel Rumpel was solid in his second straight start stopping 29 of 31.

Sean Bonar is still out with the swine flu and doesn’t yet have a timetable for a return to the line-up.

Neither team could take advantage of nine power plays on Friday. The Vees finished 0/5 on the man advantage and were a perfect 4/4 on the penalty kill.

Next up for the Vees is a trip to Burnaby to face the Express at Bill Copland Arena on Saturday. Opening faceoff is slated for 7:30 with the pre-game show starting at 7:15 on EZ Rock. The Vees defeated the Express 8-0 in their first meeting of the season in Penticton.

The Penticton Vees are back to their winning ways after a emphatic 6-1 win over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks on Wednesday Night at the SOEC.

Ben Sexton was back in the Vees line-up on Wednesday

Eric Filiou and Beau Bennett each had a goal and two assists and Joel Rumpel allowed just a single goal on 21 shots as the Vees recorded their 21st win in their 26th game.

Alex Szczechura scored the only goal in the opening period and then spurred a strong second frame for the Vees that saw them head to the locker room up 5-0 after 40 minutes. After the Silverbacks lone goal in the third period Jake Johnson netted the final goal of the game beating netminder Kurt Williams who played the third period in relief of Tony Ierfino.

Other Vees with multi-point nights were Denver Manderson, Joey Holka and Matt Paltridge. Holka’s 13th of the season was a sight to see as it hit the crossbar, the back of the Silverback net-minder Tony Ierfino and then into the net.

The Vees netted a pair of power play goals in eight opportunities and killed off each of the two minors they were assessed.

Ben Sexton made his return to the line-up in front of 1,500 fans and was deployed as a pivot for Joey Holka and Garrett Milan. Sexton had been out of action since getting injured on the 25th of October in Port Alberni.

Sean Bonar was not with the team on Wednesday as he has caught the swine flu and is in Vancouver recovering away from the team.

The Vees hit the road on Thursday morning to travel up the Sunshine coast to face the Powell River Kings on Friday Night. Saturday the club will face the Burnaby Express before returning back to Penticton early Sunday morning.

You can catch all the upcoming Vees action live on EZ Rock AM 800 in Penticton and on MyEZRock.com with our pre-game show starting at 7:15 on Friday and Saturday.

The Penticton Vees have dropped back-to-back games to the Westside Warriors, the latest a 7-3 setback on Saturday in West Kelowna.

Greyson Downing

For the first time since being eliminated in the playoffs by the Vernon Vipers last Spring, the Vees have lost two games in a row. The weekend skid comes on the heels of a ten game winning streak that was the second longest in the BCHL this season.

Sean Bonar struggled and was replaced by Joel Rumpel in the third while Warriors 17-year-old forward Greyson Downing was a force notching a pair goals – including one shorthanded – and an assist.

Kyle Singleton had three assists and Cole Wilson had two snipes as the Warriors showcased their secondary scoring. Trevor Bailey got his fifth goal of the weekend in the third period (he had four on Friday), and Alex Grieve and Tyler Kraus also bulged the twine much to the delight of the 1408 fans at the Royal LePage Place.

Veteran net-minder Kevin Jebson was solid for the Warriors as he set aside 31 of 34 shots for his fifteenth victory of the season and second in two nights against the Vees. Sean Bonar stopped 18 of 23 shots in the first two periods, before being spelled by Joel Rumpel who made 5 saves on 7 shots in the third.

Matt Paltridge, Alex Szczechura and Ryan Viselli scored for the Vees in the loss, while Denver Manderson’s league leading point streak was halted at 11 games.

The Vees got beaten badly on special teams on Saturday surrendering a short-handed goal and allowing a pair of power play goals against. The Vees finshed 2/4 on the penalty kill and 0/5 on the power play.

Three players were ejected for hitting from behind on Saturday as Eric Filiou and Logan Johnston got the early shower for the Vees, Spencer Humphries got the boot for the Warriors.

Up next for the Vees (20-4-0-1) are the Salmon Arm Silverbacks who visit the South Okanagan Events Centre on Wednesday night. Thursday morning the Vees head up the Coast to Powell River for a Friday game. On Saturday the Vees will make their only visit to Burnaby.

Wednesday’s home game starts at 7:05, while the road games this weekend begin at 7:30. Catch the pregame show on Wednesday at 6:45 and tune in at 7:15 on the weekend. You can catch every single Vees game on EZ Rock in the South Okanagan and Similkameen and at BCHL.ca.

Westside Captain Trevor Bailey was a one-man wrecking crew on Friday as the Warriors won 5-4 to halt the Vees winning streak at ten games. Bailey, the diminutive 20-year-old forward had four goals on the night and scored in each period as he paced the West Kelowna club to their 15th win of the season.

In a game that saw the Vees erase a pair of two-goal deficits, but never lead, the Warriors handed the Vees their first regulation loss on home ice of the season. Nashville draft pick Cam Reid was especially crafty on this night as he set of three of Bailey’s four scores.

Quinn Gould scored the winner at 11:43 of the third and Kevin Jebson was spectacular in the final forty minutes when the Vees started to pepper the Westside net with shots.

Through twenty minutes of play the Vees trailed 12-4 on the shot clock, but ended up outshooting the Warriors 37-30 on the night.

Beau Bennett had his second consecutive two-goal night and now has 16 goals on the season, while Denver Manderson extended his point streak to 11 games with a three-assist performance. Matt Paltridge potted his 6th from the right point and Logan Johnston netted his 7th on a good second effort at the side of the net.

Sean Bonar was uncharacteristically ordinary in net for Penticton as he allowed 5 goals on 30 shots, while Kevin Jebson again proved he can be one of the BCHL’s best when he is on. Jebson set aside 34 of 37 Vees shots for his 14th win of the season.

The Vees top ranked power play was especially effective on Friday as the home side scored on two of four opportunities, while the penalty kill was tested just once and didn’t allow a shot.

With the loss the Vees drop to 20-3-0-1 on the season and now are 5 points behind the Vernon Vipers in the race for first place in the Interior.

The Vees will have revenge on their minds Saturday night in West Kelowna when these two clubs finish their second home-and-home series of the season. The game begins at 7:00 with the pre-game show kicking off at 6:45 live from Royal LePage Place.

Make it ten in a row for the Penticton Vees, as they crushed the visiting Victoria Grizzlies 6-2 on Wednesday.

Beau Bennett had a pair of goals and Joey LaLeggia had two assists in their return from the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge. Ryan Viselli, Eric Filiou, Garrett Milan and Denver Manderson also had two point nights as the Vees scored 5 straight after the Grizzlies opened the scoring.

Captain Manderson now has 50 points on the season and has recorded a point in each of his last 10 games. Denver is four points behind Salmon Arm Silverback Mark Zengerle in the BCHL scoring race, with two games in hand.

Americans Luke Curadi and Joey Holka also scored for the Vees who haven’t lost since the 9th of October when Vernon beat them at home in overtime. The Vees remain 3 points back of the Vipers for top spot in the league.

1600 fans saw rookie Joel Rumpel earn his eighth win of the season stopping 26 of 28 shots, as Sean Bonar got a night off after being named the MVP of the World Jr. ‘A’ Challenge on Sunday. At the other end of the ice Colin Fernandes faced 39 shots and suffered the loss.

The Grizzlies got goals from Gregory Simpson and Nick Buchanan in a losing cause with Alex Allan, Dustin Mowrey, Brad Pawlowski and Joel Lowry adding assists.

The Vees power play went 2/4 with all four man-advantages coming in the third period. In the second the Vees took their only two penalties, and killed them both.

Earlier in the day Adam Zamec was traded to the Wellington Dukes of the CCHL in Ontario for future considerations. Pentictonite Logan Johnston has been named an alternate captain of the club with his departure.

Next action for the blue, black and white is a home-and-home series with the Westside Warriors, which kicks off on Friday night at the SOEC in Penticton. Both games start at 7:00 PM with the pre-game show starting at 6:45 on EZ Rock.

The Penticton Vees needed a late goal on the power play but have won their ninth game in a row with a tight 2-1 decision in Langley on Saturday Night.

After trading goals in the first period of play the Vees and Chiefs were deadlocked at one apiece for over half the game before Alex Szczechura put the Vees ahead on the power play with just 2:44 remaining in the game.

Bo Dolan registered a pair of assist and Logan Johnston wacked in his 6th of the season in low scoring second meeting between these teams in as many days. Denver Manderson stretched his point streak to 9 games with an assist on the winner and Isaac MacLeod also had a helper in the Vees 19th win of the season.

Joel Rumpel set aside 24 of 25 shots to earn his third win since Sean Bonar departed for the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge. Andrew Walsh was much improved for the Chiefs on Saturday, as he stopped 27 of 29 shots a night after allowing seven goals.

The Vees power play ended up 1/9 on the night, while they killed every penalty they took.

The Vees are now 19-2-0-1 to start the season, but haven’t been able to gain any ground on the Vernon Vipers who beat Quesnel on Saturday night and haven’t lost since September.

Next action for the Vees comes on Wednesday as they host the Victoria Grizzlies at 7:05 at the SOEC.

The Penticton Vees have now won 8 games in a row after beating the Langley Chiefs 7-2 at home on Friday night. The Vees remain undefeated in regulation at the SOEC and will look to improve their road record on Saturday as they close out their home-and-home and two games season series with the Chiefs in Langley.

The Vees took advantage of an undisciplined Langley squad in the first period going 3 for 4 on the man advantage, outshooting the Chiefs 26-6 as they went to the locker room up 4-0. While the game wasn’t over after 20 minutes, it certainly appeared out of reach for an overmatched Langley team that struggled to create scoring chances against a quicker and more skilled Vees club.

Garrett Milan potted a pair of goals and was named the first star of the game. While Denver Manderson chipped in with 3 points and Jake Johnson added a pair of goals as both Vees stretched their league leading point streaks to 8 games.

Other Vees with multi-point nights included Bo Dolan and Alex Szczechura. Joey Holka potted his 11th of the year and Byron Sorensen and Eric Filiou had lone assists in the Vees 18th victory of the season.

The Langley Chiefs got goals from defenders Matt Cronin and Ryan Bakken, while Vees net-minder Joel Rumpel set aside the other 22 of 24 directed his way. Andrew Walsh was lit up for seven goals on 45 shots before getting the hook in the third period to make way for Wyatt Waselenchuk who stopped all five shots he saw.

The Vees killed both Langley power plays, while going 5 of 11 on the night with the man-advantage. The Vees have killed 49 of 51 penalties since the end of September.

Tomorrow the Vees will make their first visit to the Langley Events Centre with the opening faceoff set for 7PM. You can catch the pre-game show at 6:45 on EZ Rock, BCHL Pay-Per-View, MyEZRock.com, and at the BCHL.ca Audio Scoreboard.

Friday was also a victorious day for the Vees participating at the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Beau Bennett scored his third goal of the tournament in a 6-3 Team USA win over Russia, while Joey LaLeggia and Sean Bonar were part of a 9-1 Canada West beat down of Team Canada East in front of their own fans.

The World Junior A Challenge gold medal game is Sunday at 1PM (PST) and can be seen on TSN2.

The Penticton Vees are sad to see the month of October end after a 4-1 win over the Merritt Centennials that moved the club to 10-0-0-1 in the second month of the BCHL season.

Billy Faust earned his first career BCHL win and the Vees vaulted over Vernon and into first place in the Interior Conference with their seventh consecutive win on Saturday. The Vees have earned 21 of 22 points in October while outscoring their opponents 55-12 over the eleven game streak.

Saturday saw the Vees pepper the Cents with 42 shots while allowing just 18. A flu shortened Centennials bench was no match for the Vees short bench with three players at the World Jr. ‘A’ Challenge in Prince Edward Island and another gone to injury.

Logan Johnston was the games first star and only player to record a multi-point night as he rifled in his fifth of the year on a wicked wrister and set up Eric Filiou’s sixth of the season. Garrett Milan added his twelfth of the year on a shot from in close and Ryan Viselli’s sixth of the year opened the scoring as he tucked home a back-hand in the first period.

Denver Manderson and Jake Johnson bumped their point streaks to seven games as each added an assist in the win.

The Centennials lone goal came at the 16:35 mark of the third period that spoiled Billy Faust’s shutout bid. Alex Valenti whacked in a puck in the slot and Colton Sobchek and Derek Hills drew assists. Riley Wall made 38 saves on 42 shots in his first BCHL game of the season, playing as an AP for the Centennials.

The Vees did not score a goal over the weekend, but were perfect on the penalty kill. On Friday the Vees ended up 0/4 on the man-advantage, but were perfect in killing all three minors assessed to the club.

Next up for the Vees are the Langley Chiefs who will visit Penticton on Friday then host the Vees on Saturday from the brand new Langley Events Centre.

The Penticton Vees didn’t miss a beat with four of their top players out of the line-up on Friday Night, as they pounded the Burnaby Express 8-0 at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

Alex Szczechura had two assists while filling on the Vees top line

Joey Holka and Bo Dolan notched a pair of goals each, and rookie puck-stopper Joel Rumpel turned aside all 33 shot for his first BCHL shutout and the Vees sixth consecutive victory. Harrison May allowed all eight goals on 45 Vees shots in the eleventh loss in the last thirteen games for the Express.

Captain Denver Manderson added another 3 points including his 15th goal of the season, while newcomer Taylor Peters had a short handed goal and two assists in his first BCHL game since being assigned to Penticton from Portland of the WHL. Other Vees recording multi-point nights were Garrett Milan, Jake Johnson, and Alex Szczechura. Johnson now has 8 points in 7 games since arriving in Penticton after starting his junior career with the Sioux City Muskateers of the USHL.

The Penticton home victory spoiled the return of former Vees Brad Reid, Jimmy Geerin, Matt Ridley and Luke Challier – who had multiple opportunities but failed to get the puck past Joel Rumpel.

With Sean Bonar and Joey LaLeggia playing for team Canada West in the World Junior A Challenge in P.E.I. and Ben Sexton out with an upper body injury, the Vees showed superior depth to their opponents who were also missing numerous players to a flu bug that has passed through their team.

When the dust settled on Friday nine Vees players had a point while seven had multi point nights. The Vees have 19 point in their last ten games with the only hiccup an overtime loss to the Vipers on October 9th. The Vees sit one point behind the Vipers for top spot in the Interior Conference, while Vernon holds a game in hand.

The Vees power play was the lone blemish on the night as the Vees finished 0/3, though the penalty kill was a perfect 6/6.

Tomorrow the Vees host the Merritt Centennials who are battling the flu and lost 10-4 to Vernon on Friday. Opening face-off is at 7:05 while the pre-game show on EZ Rock starts at 6:45.