Recap: Vipers stun Vees in 3-2 overtime win
Photo: Jack Murray
Penticton, BC – The Penticton Vees had their six-game win streak come to an end on Friday, after their 3-2 overtime loss to the Vernon Vipers at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
You can’t fault the Vees if they were left stunned after Friday’s loss. Penticton led 2-0 with just over three minutes left in the third period, before Vernon rallied for three unanswered goals, as they spoiled the Vees’ annual Pink the Rink night.
Despite the last-second loss, the Vees picked up a point Friday to extend their point streak to 18 games (15-0-3-0), as they sit four points ahead of Trail for top spot in the BCHL.
Tyson Zimmer scored 45 seconds into overtime for Vernon as they completed the dramatic comeback, as they snapped a three-game losing skid. Vernon’s Will Schumacher forced overtime with his game-tying goal with just 0.2 seconds left in regulation. Charlie Kresl scored the other goal for Vernon. Friday was the Vipers’ first win when trailing going into the third period. They previously were 0-15-1-0.
Tristan Petersen and Simon Meier scored for the Vees, as Penticton got out to a 2-0 lead by the five and a half minute mark of the third period. Petersen scored late in the second to put the Vees up 1-0. Meier scored early in the third period that doubled their lead to 2-0. Penticton was 20-0-0-0 when leading after two periods before Friday’s disappointing OT setback.
Both goalies were sharp on Friday. Will Ingemann was tagged with the loss after stopping 16 of 19 shots. Vernon’s Jari Kykkanen was the busier of the two netminders, as he stopped 37 of 39 shots fired his way.
Petersen broke the 0-0 deadlock with under four minutes left in the second period. The 18-year-old from Denmark scored his second goal in as many games to put Penticton up 1-0 at 16:09.
Meier added to the lead five and a half minutes into the third after he picked the corner from the face-off circle at 5:29. His first goal in five games put the Vees up 2-0.
Vernon made it a one-goal game at 16:50 after Kresl crashed the crease and deflected in the pass from Erik Pasto. Then, the Vipers tired it up at 2-2 after Schumacher scored on his last second shot in the third period.
There was some controversy back I the first period, as the Vees had an opening goal waved off from Ben Merrill. The 19-year-old forward thought he had scored from his knees at the top the crease with just five seconds left in the first. After the call on the ice was a goal, video review overturned the call.
GAME STATS
Shots: Vees- 39 Vipers- 19
Scoring: Tristan Petersen (2nd), Simon Meier (6th)
Goaltending: Will Ingemann (L), 60:45, 16/19
Vees Power Play: 0/2
Vees Penalty Kill: 3/3
Three Stars:
1) Simon Meier (1G, 1A)
2) Ryden Evers (0G, 2A)
3) Tristan Petersen (1G, 1A)
Attendance: 4,322
Up Next: Saturday, February 7, at Trail Smoke Eaters, 7:00 pm.