Game Recap: Vees slow start costly in Game Four loss to Surrey
Photo: Cherie Morgan
PENTICTON, B.C. – The Surrey Eagles have tied the Fred Page Cup Final after their 3-2 win in Game Four at the SOEC, Wednesday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre (SOEC).
The series is now tied 2-2 and it’s a best-of-five finish for the BCHL championship, with Game Five on Friday in Surrey.
“We came out flat. We got behind the eight ball. When you give a team like Surrey a three-goal lead, you’re going to be chasing all night,” began Vees’ Director of Hockey Operations Matt Miller. “We battled back in the final two periods, but you can’t put yourself in that position at this point of the season.”
The Surrey Eagles came out firing in the first period, scoring three times on 16 shots, as they led 3-0 after 20 minutes. Surrey scored twice in 34 seconds to quickly go up 2-0.
Surrey’s Aaron Schwartz opened the scoring at 14:14. He scored on a rebound off the pad of Will Ingemann for his second of the series. Defenceman Carter Frankiw then doubled the Eagles’ lead on the next shift, as his shot from up top snuck underneath the pad of Ingemann at 14:48. Micah Berger capped off the barrage, putting the Eagles up 3-0 at 18:10. Zachary Wagnon fed the puck out front to Berger who went five-hole on Ingemann.
Andrew Ness replaced Ingemann at the start of the second period. Ingemann allowed three goals on 16 first period shots. Ness stopped 12 shots over the final two periods.
Penticton got a spark at the start of the second, as they were given a four-minute power play, after Frankiw was assed a high-sticking double minor at the end of the first.
48 seconds into that power play, Francesco Dell’Elce got the Vees’ on the scoreboard, as he his wrist shot from the point found the back of the net; Dell’Elce’s first goal since the opening game of the postseason on April 5th.
Penticton, down 3-1 in the third, pressed in the final frame and made things interesting late. The Vees pulled the goalie for the extra skater with four minutes left. Zack Stringer came inches away from making it a one-goal game, as he hit the crossbar in tight after a scramble in the Eagles crease.
The Vees made it a one-goal game inside the final minute of regulation. Cade Littler put a backhand up and over Ajeet Gundarah with 27 seconds left as the gap was closed to 3-2; Littler’s second goal in as many games.
However, Penticton couldn’t manufacture an equalizer, as time ran out on their comeback.
GAME STATS
Shots: Eagles- 28 Vees- 31
Vees Scoring: Dell’Elce (2), Littler (3)
Vees Goaltending: Will Ingemann 20:00 13/16 (L)
Andrew Ness 35:52 12/12
Power-Plays:
Vees: 1/2
Eagles: 0/0
Three Stars:
1) Micah Berger (1G, 1A)
2) Aaron Schwartz (1G)
3) Francesco Dell’Elce (1G)
Next Game: Game Five, Friday, May 24, at South Surrey Arena; puck drop 7:30 pm.