vees:blog

I sat down with Vees Head Coach and General Manager Fred Harbinson for a mid-day bite on Main Street in Penticton. A windy but warm Friday proved a good opportunity for a final Coach’s Show for Ironman City Subaru in Penticton.

Glenn Hauptman, Flush Photo. No copies or reproduction without permission. FlushPhoto(at)Gmail.com

No better way to celebrate the 1st day of Spring… Well, aside from playing in the Interior Conference Final tonight.

P.S. I’ll take the Vipers in 7

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****Mammoth Post Warning****

Please take a seat, pour yourself a few fingers of brandy, and make sure your laptop battery is full. This posting could get lengthy as I’m feeling yappy. That’s a scary thought coming from a play-by-play hack that fills three hour radio time slots talking about ice, pucks, hits and whistles on a regular basis. See your physician if you feel dizzy or nauseous.

VERNON PREVAILS

No shame in losing to a better team. The feel abound in Vernon was palpably different than that following last season’s 5 game defeat at the hands of the Camrose Kodiaks. Vees fans are still trying to sort out how the Kodiaks beat the Vees last season, yet have accepted last night’s loss to the Vernon Vipers. The difference is a decided edge in play held by Vernon in the best-of-seven. When the Vees were at their best the games were close, when the Vipers were at their best the games were one sided.

The Vipers outscored the Vees 25-10 in the series, and the Vees were stymied repeatedly at even strength, notching just 4 5-on-5 goals in the series.

After back-to-back shots drew ringing posts in a scoreless first period one got the sense this would not be their night. Not even Don Cherry’s presence was enough for the Vees to force a Game 6 in Penticton.

Roger Tepper, Edge Photography, No copies or reproduction without permission. EdgePhoto(at)telus.net

Tough to say goodbye to the 2008/2009 season with the calendar not yet even March 15th, especially since the Vees were alive until the end of April last year.

EYE ON DOYLE

Two other BCHL clubs were eliminated last night in Game 5 of their respective Conference Semi-Finals.

The injury plagued Westside Warriors tied their game with Salmon Arm at 4’s with 1:14 to play in the third late but had their season ended by Bobby Lipsett 3:28 into the extra frame. The result is a Salmon Arm vs. Vernon Interior Final… I’ll take the deeper, grittier Vipers.

Also booking tee times today are the Surrey Eagles. The Powell River Kings dismantled the Mainland Division 3rd seeds losing just one game as Tommy Tartaglione made 40+ saves in an OT shutout win in Surrey in Game 3.

Cowichan hosts Victoria tonight down 3-2 in the Island Final. A home win would force a Tuesday elimination game at Bear Mountain.

BCHL Playoff Bracket

In Alberta the Spruce Grove Saints have advanced to the Northern Division Final where they’ll host the winner of the Grande Prairie Strom and the Sherwood Park Crusaders (GP leads 3-2).

In the South Division the Camrose Kodiaks are tied at 2 games apiece with the Brooks Bandits after a pair of lopsided loses on the road to open the series (the home team has won each tilt). Elsewhere the Olds Grizzlies are tied with the Okotoks Oilers at 2 wins each.

AJHL PLAYOFF LOOKSIE

Just 12 remain in the hunt for the Doyle Cup… that number will be whittled down to 8 in by mid-week.

VEES OFF SEASON

Roger Tepper, Edge Photography, No copies or reproduction without permission. EdgePhoto(at)telus.net

Between today and August’s training camp Fred Harbinson will be hunting for parts to mix in with his skilled young group of returnees. Size and grit will be on the menu as the Vees seemed to be man-handled at times in their series loss to Vernon.

Gone for sure are 20-year-olds White, Grassi and Josepher. Safe bets graduating to NCAA hockey include Krogh (OSU), Ouellette (Ferris State) & Brodie Reid (Northeastern). While 18-year-olds Slemp and Odegard have a big decision regarding their pending scholarships to Alaska Fairbanks as does super sophomore forward Curtis McKenzie. C-Mac’s decision will be the most influential on the make-up of the club. An 18-year-old C-Mac would be a force of nature next year in the BCHL, how he would fit in the Miami Ohio line-up is much more of an unknown.

As for the rest? They’ll be hitting the gym this summer, getting ready for Vees training camp in August. There’s always a defection or two you don’t see coming, let’s hope the core of this green club stays united for what is shaping up to be a stellar 2009/2010 season.

WHAT’S NEXT

As for the Vees Blog? Well, the final ‘Boston Pizza Vees This Week’ runs Monday at 6PM. We’ll have feedback from the Vees as they empty their lockers Monday morning. We’ll take it from there in a few days.

I appreciate you stopping by the Vees Blog. Over 30,000 hits this season! I hope you’ve enjoyed the content as much as I have enjoyed gathering it!

Enjoy the off-season,

Ryan Pinder

This is the end

(why not go out on The Doors)

Glenn Hauptman, Flush Photo. No copies or reproduction without permission. FlushPhoto(at)Gmail.com

Good News: Garrett Milan is a man-child. 8 goals in 9 games, and a team leading 6 points agaisnst Vernon… WOW!

Bad News: Milan has outscored the rest of the Vees this series, accounting for 5 of the 9 goals they’ve tallied.

Good News: The Vees finally beat Vernon in Vernon in Game 1.

Bad News: Vernon hasn’t lost 3 games in a row all season.

Good News: The Vees are being led by their 6 players under the age of 18

Bad News: Vees Veterans have yet to make an serious impact in this series.

Good News: Vees Power Play has been clicking at 37.5%.

Bad News: Vees have scored just 3 goals at even strength in 4 games.

Game 5 in Vernon starts @ 7PM, pre-game @ 6:45 on EZ ROCK AM 800.

Call me crazy, but I was really pulling for an upset of one of the four teams that earned byes through regular season play. Unless an underdog has us all sucked in for a Hollywood come-from-behind victory, with all series being led 3-1 by the favorites who are heading home for Game 5, the second round best-of-seven series look all but done.

On the mainland few gave Surrey a chance against a veteran Powell River club that employs six 20-year-old and the most dangerous Power Play seen in the BCHL since Williams Lake ripped up the 05-06 campaign with the extra man. The scouting report has been spot on. The Kings have outscored the Eagles 19-2. NOT EVEN CLOSE!

On the Isle-of-Van, the Grizzlies have proved superior to the Capitals after stumbling in Game 1 at Bear Mountain (sounds like a ride at Disneyland, doesn’t it). The Grizzlies seem the more complete club, out-chancing and outscoring the gritty Caps since Game 1. This series still has potential to go the distance, but Chris Rawlings will have to live up to the title of BCHL’s best goalie, some critics were crowning him with. Right now Anthony Grieco has the tidy numbers!

The Warriors were a club that came into the post season on quite a roll. Injuries have depleated a blue collar club that has (or should I say had?) one of the best D-corps in the league. Justin Schultz’s injury plagued season has stretched into the playoffs, as the smooth skating stud, was absent for Games 1 & 2 vs. Salmon Arm and had spot duty in Game 3 as a Power Play specialist. Also dinged is Kevin Jebson who may be gone for the remainder of the 2nd Round after being spotted on crutches following a Game 2 injury. Give Salmon Arm credit, they’ve shown more than one dimension this post-season.

Roger Tepper, Edge Photography, No copies or reproduction without permission. EdgePhoto(at)telus.net

The Vees and Vipers have played two tight games and two blow-outs, Vernon has won 3 games. The Snakes talk about their youth, but the Vipers have just 1 player 16 or 17 years of age in the line-up compared to the Vees half dozen ’91s and ’92s that are all playing major roles. The Vees top three scorers are 16 or 17, while the veterans have been less than impressive. The Vipers have proved deeper, meaner and stronger. The Vees have scored just 3 goals 5-on-5 (YIKES)!

Last year the final four were all bye rested clubs, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised.

VERNON STAFF STAYING PUT

The Vernon Vipers recently announced that head coach Mark Ferner and assistant coach Jason Williamson have inked contract extentions. The deal brings great stability to the Vipers for years to come. Ferner played 15 years of Pro Hockey including 91 games in ‘the show’ and was the head coach of the Kamloops Blazers in 2005/2006 after serving as an assistant for 3 years.

GAME 4

Tonight’s Game 4 is without question the biggest contest of the season for the Vees. A Vipers win would leave the blue, black and white 2 down heading back to Vernon for Game 5, While a Vees win would saw off the series at a two wins apiece. Last night was the first ever post-season loss at the SOEC for the Vees, they were 3-0 coming into Game 3.

Another tough call for Fred Harbinson between the pipes tonight as 17-year-old Sean Bonar was solid, but did lose last night.

Glenn Hauptman, Flush Photo. No copies or reproduction without permission. FlushPhoto(at)Gmail.com

MURTAGH SAVES THE DAY

With Kevin Jebson on the sidelines, the Westside Warriors got a huge 3-2 win at home last night. Devon Murtagh stopped 44 of 46 Salmon Arm shots in his first start of the post-season. The Warriors now pull within a game of the Silverbacks, with an opportunity to tie the series tonight at home.

INTERIOR INJURIES

Second season scratches are mounting in the Interior Conference. The Vees already without gifted play-maker and captain Denver Manderson and uber-talented rear-guard Matt Ridley now have AJHL pick-up Kaare Odegard day-to-day with a lower body injury. Odegard hasn’t played since Game 4 of the 1st Round in Prince George.

The Westside Warriors missed drafted defender Justin Schultz for games 1 & 2 of their 2nd Round match-up with Salmon Arm. The top D-man in the Interior Conference played last night but is far from 100%, and was used primarily on the man-advantage. Michael Quinn has pick up the slack on the blue line recording 7 assists in 6 post season games. Kevin Jebson (as mentioned above) is also nicked.

The Silverbacks Mark Zengerle didn’t play last night in Westside. The BCHL’s #2 scorer in the regular season was taken out by Brad Plumpton (who earned his second straight game misconduct last night) on the PP and may be back for the weekend.

Vernon is the only Interior Conference club at full health.

Holly Ferris from Global Spectrum’s Marketing department brings us up to speed on a Fan Bus for Friday’s game.

More info!

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Game 5 vs. PG & the opening pair in Vernon

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Fred Harbinson In-Studio, Highlights of the week that was, Scott Carter on the second season, and Fred’s better half - Heidi - on life as a coach’s wife!

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BOSTON PIZZA VEES THIS WEEK

The weekly talk show resumes tonight after a week off. Fred Harbinson will join us in studio to talk Vees & Vipers.

Catch the program from 6:05 - 7:00, on EZ Rock AM 800, in the BCHLs Fanzone, or at http://www.penticton.myezrock.com/.

COACH SMALL

I chatted with coach David Small following practice today…

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Decisions, decisions.

Glenn Hauptman, Flush Photo. No Copies or Reproductions Without Permission. FlushPhoto(at)Gmail.com

Fred Harbinson has given each of his goaltenders a start through two games of the second round. Sean Bonar was solid in a Game 1 4-3 OT victory for the Vees, While Jordan White allowed 5 goals Saturday Night in a loss where the Vees looked out of gas.

What would you do??