Game Recap: Vees cruise to a 7-1 win in Vernon
Photo: Lisa Mazurek
Vernon, BC – The Penticton Vees extended their win streak to four games with their convincing 7-1 win over Vernon Vipers Saturday night at Kal Tire Place.
The Vees also extended their point streak to 10 games (8-0-2-0), and their win mathematically eliminates the Vipers from BCHL playoff contention.
Several players had multi-point games, including Ryden Evers (1G, 2A) and Simon Meier (3A) who each had three points. Ben Merrill scored a pair of goals, and five other Vees found the back of the net. In all, 11 Vees recorded at least a point in the road win.
Despite the convincing win, the Vees were guilty of a sluggish start and were down 1-0 five and a half minutes into the game. That Vernon goal seemed to grab their attention, as Penticton went on to scored seven straight goals for the emphatic road win.
Water bottles be warned. Eli McKamey is on the scene. pic.twitter.com/3HscitrbD9
— Penticton Vees (@PentictonVees) March 16, 2025
Trailing 1-0, Louie Wehmann and Eli McKamey scored less than two minutes apart, as the Vees flipped a one goal deficit into a 2-1 lead. Wehmann tied the game 1-1 at 13:15 with his 13th goal after he pounced on a rebound. McKamey got the Vees the lead 1:51 after Wehmann’s goal, as he scored his 12th on a wrist shot that popped the water bottle off the top of the net. McKamey scoring on back-to-back nights.
Penticton kept the gas pedal down in the second, as they scored three goals on 14 shots to stretch their lead to 5-1. Captain Conyr Hellyer put the Vees up 3-1 after he tipped Matthew Biotti’s shot at 4:24 for his 11th and second in as many nights too.
Penticton stretched their lead to 4-1 after Caton Ryan was credited with 13th goal when Max Heise’s one-timer from the face-off circle went off his leg and in at 12:18. Heise stepped into a drop pass from Hellyer and his slapper grazed Ryan in front before beating the goalie over the blocker.
Evers scored the Vees’ third goal of the middle frame with just over a minute to go in the period. Tristan Petersen dished the puck to Evers at the edge of the crease who made it 5-1 at 18:46.
Ben Merrill scored twice in the third period to put the finishing touches on the Vees’ win. His first came midway through the frame at 10:05 that made it 6-1. The Vernon defenceman mishandled the puck after an exchange with the goalie and Merrill quickly put it into the empty net. His second of the period, which made it 7-1, came in a much more conventional manner. Merrill flipped in a rebound after Simon Meier’s initial shot was stopped in front. Merrill’s second and 14th of the season coming at 18:14.
GAME NOTES
Louie Wehmann extended his goal streak to four games and has six goals in his last seven games. Wehmann has scored the Vees’ first goal in each of the last three games. In six games against Vernon this season, Ryden Evers posted 13 points (5G, 8A). The Vees have now matched last year’s win mark (38) with four games to go.
GAME STATS
Shots: Vees- 35 Vipers-17
Scoring: Ben Merrill (13, 14), Louie Wehmann (13), Eli McKamey (12), Conyr Hellyer (11), Caton Ryan (13), Ryden Evers (22)
Goaltending: Ethan Buenaventura (W) 16/17, 60:00
Vees Power Play: 0/1
Vees Penalty Kill: 2/2
Three Stars:
1) Ryder Evers (1G, 2A)
2) Ben Merrill (2G)
3) Simon Meier (3A)
Up Next: The Vees (38-7-5-0) at the Cranbrook Bucks (29-19-2-0) on Friday, March 21st