Recap: Vees power play surges in win over Okotoks at Showcase
Photo: Garrett James
Abbotsford, BC – Fred Harbinson recorded his 700th career win behind the bench on Tuesday, as the Penticton Vees beat the Okotoks Oilers 6-2, Tuesday night at the BCHL Showcase in Abbotsford.
Harbinson sits third all-time in wins in BCHL history and is only 12 back of Kent Lewis for second on the list.
Penticton’s special teams played a big factor in the win, as the Vees scored three power play goals and nine in their last four games.
Ryden Evers, Eli McKamey, and Luke Posthumus each had a goal and an assist in the win. Brock Reinhart, Landon Wright, and Max Heise also found the back of the net. In all, 13 Vees had a point in the win.
Reinhart and Evers scored just over two minutes apart in the first period as the Vees got out to a 2-0 after 20 minutes. Reinhart scored his first of the season at 4:29, then Evers scored his fourth at 6:32. Both goals coming off rebounds in the Oilers’ crease.
Posthumus added to Penticton’s lead in the second period, as his third of the season made it 3-0 at 6:15. McKamey set up Posthumus after intercepting the puck at the Okotoks’ blue line.
The Oilers did push back with two goals in under two minutes in the back half of the second. Otto Hanson scored at 12:09 to make it 3-1, then Brett Wilson scored on a power play at 13:56 to cut the Vees’ lead down to one.
The game swung back in the Vees favour late in the second period after the Oilers were handed a five-minute checking from behind major penalty. Penticton went onto score three times on the extended power play.
McKamey made it 4-2 at 18:51 of the middle frame after a slick, cross-crease pass from Evers.
15-year-old Eli McKamey extends the Vees lead on the powerplay! #BCHL | @PentictonVees pic.twitter.com/SZsidVwUr8
— BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague) October 16, 2024
In the third, the Vees added two more power play goals to pull away. Max Heise scored just 1:57 into the final frame to make it 5-2 for Penticton, then it was Landon Wright scoring at 2:52 to put the finishing touches on the win.
Andrew Ness was solid stopping 33 of 35 shots to improve his record to 2-0.
Anselmo Rego recorded an assist in the win and now has points in all eight games this season.
GAME STATS
Shots: Vees- 54 Oilers- 35
Scoring: Brock Reinhart, Ryden Evers, Luke Posthumus, Eli McKamey, Max Heise, Landon Wright
Goaltending: Andrew Ness (W): 60:00, 33/35
Vees Power-Play: 3/6
Vees Penalty-Kill: 4/5
Vees Player of the Game: Eli McKamey (1G, 1A)
Up Next: The Vees (7-1-0-0) face the Victoria Grizzlies (5-1-1-0) at the BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack, on Wednesday, October 16th, at 4:00 pm.