GAME PREVIEW: Vees Open 2020 With New Year’s Day Clash Against Vipers
PHOTO: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography
The Penticton Vees (27-10-1-1) return to the ice after a 10-day holiday break and open up the 2020 portion of their schedule with a New Year’s Day matinee against the Vernon Vipers (20-15-1-1) at Kal Tire Place on Wednesday afternoon.
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE vs. VERNON
Friday, October 4th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (1-0 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Friday, October 18th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (2-1 Vipers/OT) (BOXSCORE)
Friday, December 13th @ Kal Tire Place (2-0 Vipers) (BOXSCORE)
Saturday, December 14th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (4-1 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Wednesday, January 1st @ Kal Tire Place (2:00 PM)
Wednesday, January 15th @ Kal Tire Place (7:00 PM)
Saturday, February 1st @ South Okanagan Events Centre (6:00 PM)
The Vees head into the New Year with points in each of their last three games and concluded the 2019 portion of their schedule with a wild 6-5 shootout defeat to the Cowichan Valley Capitals at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Jackson Niedermayer, Nico Somerville, Liam Malmquist, Lukas Sillinger and Danny Weight each tallied in regulation while Sillinger and Weight scored in the shootout. Yaniv Perets turned aside 29 of the 34 shots he faced in 65 minutes before stopping four of the seven shooters he faced in his 1st shootout loss of the season.
Penticton and Vernon have split the four games of their season series with the Vees collecting points in three of those four meetings, including a 4-1 triumph in the teams’ last clash in mid-December at the SOEC. Conner Hutchison, David Silye, Lukas Sillinger and Carson Kosobud each scored in the contest while Yaniv Perets pushed aside 20 of the 21 shots thrown his way for the win in between the pipes.
Vees Leading Scorers:
Jay O’Brien (15-32-47)
Lukas Sillinger (15-27-42)
Danny Weight (17-24-41)
David Silye (13-25-38)
Colton Kalezic (11-15-26)
The final month of 2019 saw the Vees register points in five of their seven games played, boasting a 4-2-0-1 record over that time. Penticton outscored their opposition by a 24-16 margin over the seven-game span, including scoring a 4-1 victory over the Vipers in the teams’ last meeting. The season series between the two teams has not provided much offence, however, with the two sides combining for 11 goals thus far in the four-game season-set.
Tallying a goal and three assists for four points in the Vees final game before the holiday break, Nico Somerville comes into the New Year leading the Vees defensive core in scoring. The American International College (AIC) commit has tallied 5 goals and 20 assists for 25 points in his 39 games played this season while scoring a goal and adding 4 assists for 5 points. The Port Alberni, BC native sits 8th in scoring amongst defenders with his 25 points and ranks 9th in assists on the blue line with 20.
While December was a good month for the Vees, forward Lukas Sillinger also enjoyed plenty of success, scoring 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points in his 6 games played through the 12th month of the year. The University of Nebraska-Omaha commit is riding a three-game point streak into Wednesday afternoon, scoring three goals and four assists for seven points in that span, tallying a goal in each of those three games while also compiling multi-point efforts in each of the games. The Regina, Saskatchewan native has earned points in four of his last five games while also registering a point in seven of his last nine contests.
The Vernon Vipers enter 2020 after a home-and-home set against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks out of their holiday break, which saw a 5-2 setback on home ice before finishing the weekend with a 4-2 victory at the Shaw Centre on Sunday afternoon. Cameron MacDonald netted a pair of goals in the game while Trey Taylor and Dawson Holt added singles in the win. James Porter Jr. picked up his 3rd win of the season, making 43 saves on 45 shots in the Vipers crease.
Vipers Leading Scorers:
Matt Kowalski (19-17-36)
Connor Marritt (12-18-30)
Dawson Holt (14-13-27)
Cameron MacDonald (12-5-17)
Connor Sleeth (3-12-15)
The Vipers will look to build off of a 5-3-0-0 month of December, outscoring their opponents by a 32-29 margin in the span of eight games. Playing on home ice is somewhere that Vernon will look to get back on track with, playing five of their eight games in December at Kal Tire Place and posting a 3-2-0-0 record during that span. Overall on the season, Vernon has registered an 8-7-0-0 record when playing on home ice.
17-year-old forward Connor MacDonald found the back of the net twice in the Vipers 4-2 victory over the Silverbacks on Sunday afternoon in Salmon Arm. The Surrey, BC native has been one of the biggest contributors to the Vipers offence over the last handful of games, scoring five goals in his last five games, including tallying points in four of his last six games and is tied for 3rd on the Vipers in goal scoring with 12 goals.
Getting the start for the second straight game in between the pipes for the Vipers will be 19-year-old netminder James Porter Jr., who has been excellent over his last three starts. Following a 42-save shutout against the Vees in the middle of December, the Bonners-Ferry, Idaho native has posted a 31-save effort as well as turning aside 43 of the 45 shots he faced on Sunday afternoon in his 3rd win of the season. Porter Jr. has won three of his last four starts, allowing nine goals in that span and stopping 150 of the 159 shots he faced during that span, good for a .943 save percentage.
The Vees and Vipers will open the 2020 portion of their schedule with a New Year’s matinee this afternoon for a 2:00 PM puck drop at Kal Tire Place. The game will be broadcasted live on EZ Rock AM 800 as well as HockeyTV.com beginning with the pre-game show at 1:40 PM with the Voice of the Vees, Trevor Miller.