GAME RECAP: Lane Records 7th Career Shutout In 8-0 Blanking Of Centennials
PENTICTON, B.C. – The Penticton Vees got a pair of goals from Casey McDonald and Ethan Mann as well as a 22-save shutout from Kaeden Lane in an 8-0 victory over the Merritt Centennials on Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The Vees were quick to jump on the Centennials early in the game, putting a few chances on Merritt goaltender Keegan Maddocks before they were able to get ahead by a marker and strike first courtesy of the captain Fin Williams.
Williams blocked a shot in the defensive zone and raced his way down the right wing as he got to the puck and snapped a shot from the right face-off circle that zipped past the glove side of Maddocks for his 6th goal of the season at the 5:48 mark of the opening period to jump ahead by a 1-0 score.
Casey McDonald extended the Vees lead by a pair of goals at the 13:25 mark of the opening period courtesy of a nice centering pass from Stefano Bottini. Bottini took a rebound from a Ryan Hopkins point shot and spun at the front of the net to get a pass to McDonald who beat Maddocks for his 6th goal of the season and a 2-0 lead.
The Vees added another shorthanded goal, after earning a pair on Tuesday night, to get ahead by a 3-0 score under two minutes into the 2nd period. Brett Moravec raced down a puck on end as he skated into the offensive end and picked up the puck in the right face-off circle on his backhand and swept to his forehand to finish past the blocker side of Maddocks for his 4th goal of the season and a 3-0 lead at the 1:50 mark of the 2nd period.
Josh Nadeau added a power play goal for the Vees to get ahead by a 4-0 margin, scoring a man advantage goal in 12 consecutive games. Luc Wilson took a Spencer Smith pass at the blocker side and put one on goal that was denied by the stick of Maddocks before Josh Nadeau followed up and finished for his 12th goal of the season to give the Vees a four-goal lead.
Three goals in the 2nd period was capped by Ethan Mann scoring his 4th goal of the season on the man advantage to make it a 5-0 game. Grayson Arnott sent a shot wide of the goal with the puck coming off the end boards as Mann pushed it past the glove side of Maddocks to jump ahead of the Centennials by a 5-0 score at 10:50 of the 2nd period.
The Vees added another three goals in the 3rd period to conclude the scoring in the game, beginning with the second of the game from McDonald on a shot from the left face-off circle just 44 seconds into the period to push Penticton ahead by a 6-0 score.
Ethan Mann buried his second goal of the night as well later in the period at the 14:01 mark of the frame on a wraparound that he stuffed the puck past the blocker side of Maddocks to extend the lead to 7-0.
Luc Wilson finished off the scoring at the 15:32 mark of the final period as Luc Wilson chipped in a puck at the front of the net from a nice pass from Trevor O’Brien in the middle of the ice for his 11th goal of the season to conclude the scoring at 8-0.
Kaeden Lane was fantastic on the night, turning aside 22 shots in his 9th victory of the season and 7th career shutout in the BC Hockey League while Keegan Maddocks turned aside 44 of the 52 shots thrown his way in his 7th loss of the season.
FINAL SCORE: 8-0 Vees
SHOTS ON GOAL: 52-22 Vees
VEES PP: 2/8
VEES PK: 3/3
3 STARS:
1) Kaeden Lane (22 save-shutout)
2) Casey McDonald (2-0-2)
3) Ethan Mann (2-0-2)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game: Frank Djurasevic (0-0-0)
Attendance: 2,500
The Vees (13-2-0-0) eye their sixth straight win as they head back on the road to face-off against the Vernon Vipers (4-8-3-2) on Saturday night at Kal Tire Place. Puck drop is slated for 6:00 PM with the pre-game show taking place at 5:40 PM with the game being broadcasted on Bounce Radio 800 as well as streamed online at BCHLTV.ca.