Weekend Preview: Vees host Saints, visit Vipers

Photo: Cherie Morgan 

Author: Tim Hogg, Digital Media Coordinator

PENTICTON VEES 

President, General Manager & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson 

2024-25 Record: GP 47 36-7-5-0, 77 pts (1st, Interior Conference) 

Last Game: 3-2-win vs West Kelowna, March 7th 

Home: 18-1-5-0 

Away: 18-6-0-0 

GF: 183 

GA: 124 

Power Play: 37/153 (24.2% 5th in BCHL) 

Penalty Kill: (109/135) (80.7% 5th in BCHL) 

Scoring Leader: Ryden Evers (21-29-50) 

Penticton enters play after an extra few days of rest thanks to just one game last weekend, a 3-2 victory over the West Kelowna Warriors at home on March 7th. The first place Vees remain four points clear of the Brooks Bandits atop the BCHL’s Interior Conference and now sit even in games played with Brooks heading down the stretch. Penticton will host Spruce Grove at the SOEC Friday night before travelling to play the Vernon Vipers at Kal-Tire Place on Saturday.

The offence has clicked as of late for Penticton. The Vees have scored three or more goals in each of their last eight contests and seem to be finding their stride at the right time both at even strength and on special teams. Improvement on special teams has been steady over the course of the regular season, as both the power play and penalty-kill both sit in the top five of the BCHL rankings with six games to play. 

Nolan Stevenson has played a huge role for Penticton in all areas throughout the regular season, playing in all but one regular season game and leading the team in points among defencemen. The now 20-year-old plays in all situations for the Vees and has recorded 36 points (8-28-36) in 47 contests this season, including nine points (1-8-9) in his last six games. One of the most versatile defensemen on one of the deepest blue lines in the BCHL, Stevenson along with fellow second year defenceman Brock Reinhart are a huge reason the Vees remain in first place coming down the stretch. Reinhart is one of only three Vees, along with Matthew Cataldo and Ryden Evers, to play in every single game this season.  

In the goal crease expect to see the rotation continue with both Ethan Buenaventura and Will Ingemann getting reps this weekend in Penticton’s pair of games. Like in years past, both Vees goalies have split starts for most of the season to allow each to stay sharp. Buenaventura picked up the victory last weekend against West Kelowna in a bounce back effort that saw him get some confidence back with 17 saves in a 3-2 win. It is expected Buenaventura will go Saturday night in Vernon with Ingemann getting the nod Friday at home for the Vees. 

 

Spruce Grove Saints 

Season Series:  

September 20th, Penticton 3 at Spruce Grove 2

October 20th, Penticton 3 at Spruce Grove 1

February 28th, Spruce Grove 4 at Penticton 3 (OT)

March 14th, Spruce Grove at Penticton

Head Coach: Ryan Marsh 

2024-25 Record: 47 GP, 17-25-5-0, 39 pts (9th, Interior Conference)  

Last Game: 4-2 loss vs Blackfalds, March 8th 

Home: 8-12-4-0 

Away: 9-13-1-0 

GF: 146 

GA: 202 

Power Play: 27/161 (16.8%, 17th in BCHL) 

Penalty Kill: 142/189 (75.1%, 19th in BCHL) 

Scoring Leader: Josh Polak (19-16-35)

The Spruce Grove Saints arrive to the SOEC for the second and final time on Friday, and the second time in two weeks to take on the Vees. The Saints were 4-3 winners in overtime when they last visited on February 28th. In the middle of a push for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Interior Conference, the Saints find themselves amid a disappointing three-game losing streak entering play Friday night. Thought to be in a good spot coming down the stretch playing primarily teams directly surrounding them in the standings, the Saints have fallen to Vernon, Okotoks, and Blackfalds in succession since their February 28th win in Penticton.  

With just seven games remaining in their BCHL calendar, they currently find themselves on the outside looking in. They remain five points behind the eighth place Okotoks Oilers and six behind the seventh place West Kelowna Warriors as the three team race for the final two playoff spots heats up. Three of their final seven games will be played this weekend as they embark on a road trip that will see them stop in Penticton Friday, Salmon Arm Saturday, and finish with an afternoon contest against the Vernon Vipers on Sunday. 

The weekend is pivotal for a Spruce Grove team trying to get into the playoffs, and their top players will need to lead the way. Josh Polak continues to lead the team in scoring with 35 points (19-16-35) and has four goals in his last six games entering play Friday night. The 18-year-old from Strathcona County, AB, has been their leader on the stat sheet all season in a year that’s seen Spruce Grove stay in the middle of the pack when it comes to offense, and will be their most important asset down the stretch with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance. 

Ryan De Kok was the goaltender of record for the Saints in their February 28th win over Penticton at the SOEC and has played all three contests against the Vees this season. He has allowed seven goals in three starts against Penticton on a combined 117 shots and is the expected starter Friday night for Head Coach Ryan Marsh and the Saints.  

 

Vernon Vipers 

Season Series:  

October 5th, Penticton 4 at Vernon 3

October 26th, Vernon 4 at Penticton 5 (OT)

November 23rd, Vernon 4 at Penticton 6

February 7th, Vernon 3 at Penticton 2 (OT)

February 15th, Penticton 5 at Vernon 2

March 15th, Penticton at Vernon

Head Coach: Lukas Lomicky

2024-25 Record: 48 GP, 14-28-6-0, 34PTS (10th, Interior Conference)  

Last Game:  

Home: 8-10-5-0 

Away: 6-18-1-0 

GF: 147 

GA: 194 

Power Play: 40/168 (23.8%, 6th in BCHL) 

Penalty Kill: 131/175 (74.9%, 20th in BCHL) 

Scoring Leader: Talan Blanck (10-19-29) 

The Vipers get the benefit this weekend that the Vees got last weekend in some extra rest, sitting idle Friday night as they watch the teams around them jockey for playoff position. While mostly thought of as out of the running for one of the final two playoff spots yet to be determined, the Vipers stand an outside chance to get into the Rogers BCHL Playoffs as the eighth seed. They sit 10 points out of the eighth and final playoff spot currently and have put themselves in the position of needing to win all their remaining games plus get some help to secure their spot. Vernon has used a staggering 57 players to get through 48 games so far this season, the most in the BCHL by a long margin.  

Talan Blanck has been a breath of fresh air, arriving out of the BCHL’s Holiday Break and joining a Vipers team in desperate need of some offense. The 19-year-old from Fon Du Lac, WI has done nothing but produce since his arrival, posting 29 points (10-19-29) in 21 games since his arrival, giving the Vipers an offensive weapon they did not have prior to the break. Half his goals have come on the powerplay, which has been the only constant season-long bright spot for Vernon as it clips at 24% and remains in the top third of the league.  

Jarri Kykkanen continues to do the heavy lifting in the Vipers’ crease, making 22 appearances since his arrival on November 24th against Salmon Arm. The former Kelowna Rockets goaltender has compiled middling numbers in his short BCHL tenure, with a goals-against average of 4.06 and a save percentage just over 88%. He was, however, sensational the last time the Vipers were at the SOEC helping Vernon pick up a 3-2 come from behind overtime win on February 7th, stopping 37 shots in the process.