Game Recap: Vees drop pre-season opener in Trail

Photo: Jennifer Small

TRAIL, B.C. – The Penticton Vees opened their BCHL Exhibition schedule on Friday in Trail, losing to the Smoke Eaters 7-4 at Cominco Arena.

Trail, who won their pre-season opener over Cranbrook on Wednesday, got off to a quick start Friday, as they scored 54 seconds into the first period. The Smokies led 2-1 after 20 minutes and after a three-goal middle frame, 5-2 through two periods. Trail’s power play scored on all three of their opportunities Friday.

Penticton got goals from Eli McKamey, Max Heise, Simon Meier, and Caton Ryan. 15-year-old McKamey, who was granted exceptional status ahead of the 2024-25 season, scored the Vees’ opening goal in the first. Heise scored in the second and Meier and Ryan chipped in offensively in the final frame. 16-year-old defenceman Zach Nyman had an assist in a losing cause.

Goaltenders Andrew Ness and Will Ingemann split the duties in the crease. Ness surrendered five goals on 14 shots in 28 minutes of work. Ingemann turned aside 13 of 15 shots in the back half of the game.

Former Vee Attila Lippai was one of seven scorers for the Smoke Eaters, who have now scored 19 goals in the first two exhibition games. Trail beat Cranbrook 12-2 on Wednesday night.

The Vees were down 2-0 in the first before McKamey got his team on the scoreboard. The Cowichan Bay, B.C. product cleaned up his own rebound at 15:34.

After Trail scored three goals in the first eight and a half minutes of the second, Heise stopped the bleeding with his goal at 14:10 that made it 5-2. Heise’s shot went off the post and in from the slot.

Meier got the Vees within two five minutes into the third after he scored on a breakaway. Meier took a pass from Nyman before finishing the rush off with a backhand deke.

Trail went up 6-3 before Ryan’s power play goal cut the deficit back down to two. Ryan scorched a one-timer past the Trail goaltender from the wing with just over five minutes to go in the game.

The Smoke Eaters put the game away on their third power play goal of the night, as Jason Stefanek scored at 17:10 that made it 7-4.

GAME STATS

Shots: Vees- 37 Smoke Eaters- 29

Scoring: Eli McKamey, Max Heise, Simon Meier, Caton Ryan

Goaltending: Andrew Ness (L)- 28:35, 9/14 | Will Ingemann- 31:25, 13/15

Vees Power-Play: 1/3

Vees Penalty-Kill: 0/3

Three Stars:

1) Attila Lippai (TRA)

2) Ridge Dawson (TRA)

3) Jack Ziliotto (TRA)

The Vees (0-1-0-0) return home Saturday to face the Vernon Vipers (0-1-0-0) at the SOEC in BCHL exhibition action; puck drop is 6:00 pm. Tickets are just $8 for adults. Local youth 18 and under are FREE, courtesy of Peters Bros. Construction. Tickets are available at the SOEC box office, or online at www.valleyfirsttix.com