Recap: Vees fall to Warriors in OT in BCHL preseason tilt

Photo: Tami Quan

WEST KELOWNA, B.C. – The Penticton Vees opened their final weekend of exhibition with a 4-3 overtime setback to the West Kelowna Warriors, Friday at Royal LePage Place.

Warriors forward Elias Callgren scored two minutes into OT, as West Kelowna prevailed in the three-on-three.

Michael Fisher, Luke Posthumus, and Conyr Hellyer scored for Penticton. Hellyer finished with a pair of points. After trailing 1-0 and 2-1 in the second period, the Vees grabbed their first lead of the game early in the third.

Goaltender Andrew Ness stopped 28 of 32 shots in just over 60 minutes of work Friday. West Kelowna’s Dawson Labre stopped 27 of 30 shots.

The Vees did not score on their only power play of the game, which was early in the first period. West Kelowna did score on their lone man advantage in the third period that tied the game and forced overtime.

After a scoreless 20 minutes, the two teams combined for four goals in the second period. Three in just over 90 seconds.

The Warriors opened the scoring at 5:16 of the middle frame on a goal by Frankie D’Ancona. Penticton’s Michael Fisher tied it half a minute later after his point shot found its way through traffic. West Kelowna went back ahead 73 seconds after Penticton had tied it, as Caden Kemkaran-Humble put the Warriors up 2-1 at 6:54.

Late in the frame, the Vees got back on even terms, as Luke Posthumus made it 2-2 at 17:54. Matthew Cataldo was stopped in tight, but Posthumus buried the rebound on a quick deke in tight.

Early in the third period, Penticton took their first lead of the night, as Conyr Hellyer was credited with the go-ahead goal just 1:36 in. Fisher’s point shot deflected off Hellyer’s skate and past Labre to give the Vees a 3-2 lead a minute and a half into the third.

The lead lasted less than five minutes, before the Warriors tied it up on the power play. Callum Hughes scored on a one-timer set up by Jack Pridham at 5:23. That goal, tied the game and forced overtime.

In the three-on-three session, Callgren broke down the middle, as Penticton was changing, and quickly put his wrist shot five-hole on Ness at 1:53.

GAME STATS

Shots: Vees- 30 Warriors- 32

Scoring: Michael Fisher, Luke Posthumus, Conyr Hellyer

Goaltending: Andrew Ness (L): 61:53, 28/32

Vees Power-Play: 0/1

Vees Penalty-Kill: 0/1

Three Stars:

1) Elias Callgren (WK)

2) Callum Hughes (WK)

3) Frankie D’Ancona (WK)

Up Next: The Vees (1-1-1-0) wrap up their exhibition schedule on Saturday afternoon, when they host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks at the SOEC; puck drop is slated for 3:00 pm. Exhibition tickets are just $8 for adults. Tickets are available at the Valley First box office, or online at www.valleyfirsttix.com