Recap: Vees fall to Silverbacks 5-1 in regular season finale
Photo: Cherie Morgan
Penticton, BC – The Penticton Vees wrapped up their BCHL regular season with a 5-1 loss to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, Saturday at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The loss snapped the Vees’ seven-game win streak and their 13-game point streak. Penticton finished the regular season with a 41-8-5-0 record.
The Vees now prepare for the BCHL Playoffs that begin Thursday, April 3rd, against the Okotoks Oilers at the SOEC. The full series schedule will be released this week.
Saturday’s game had no implications on the final standings as the Vees had already clinched top spot in the BCHL and Salmon Arm was locked into the fourth seed.
Eli McKamey scored the Vees’ only goal, in the second period, as he had three goals in two games over the weekend.
Local product Sharky Nowek played his third game of the season and suffered his first loss of the season, after he surrendered five goals on 25 shots. Nowek had one his previous two starts.
Salmon Arm led 2-0 after 20 minutes on goals from Donovan Hamilton and Patrick Raftery. Hamilton opened the scoring in the first at 8:51 and Raftery doubled the visitors lead at 15:14. Raftery credited with the goal after his pass went off a Vees’ skate and in.
Salmon Arm went ahead 3-0 before the Vees finally found a goal in the back half of the middle frame. McKamey scored his 15th goal of the season at 14:20.
40 seconds after McKamey’s goal, Cal Stone and Caleb Mahar dropped the gloves. Both were handed five-minute fighting majors and misconducts.
Salmon Arm pulled away late in the middle frame with two goals in 1:20. Grant Dillard made it 4-1 at 18:37 and then Cole Cooksey extended the visitors lead to 5-1 at 19:57.
The Vees handed out their annual team awards after the game. The winners are listed below.
Cannery Brewing Unsung Hero– Brock Reinhart
Sherwood Brand Solutions Most Improved Player– Ben Merrill
Murray GMC Best Conditioned Athlete– Sharky Nowek
Tim Hortons Most Inspirational– Conyr Hellyer
Cascades Casino Humanitarian– Max Heise
Grizzly Excavating Most Sportsmanlike– Ryden Evers
Home Hardware Academic Award- Zach Nyman
Chamberlain Property Group Vees on Vees Most Popular– Nate McIsaac
Elliot Row Fan Favourite- Anselmo Rego
Chad Campbell Memorial Top Scorer– Ryden Evers
Penticton Alumni Hockey Club Best Defenceman– Nolan Stevenson
BC Hockey Hall of Fame Rookie of the Year- Callum Stone
Making Cents Bookkeeping MVP– Max Heise
GAME STATS
Shots: Vees- 18 Silverbacks-25
Scoring: Eli McKamey
Goaltending: Sharky Nowek (L)- 60:00, 20/25
Vees Power Play: 0/4
Vees Penalty Kill: 1/1
Three Stars:
1) Easton Walos (2A)
2) Dakota MacIntosh (2A)
3) Eli McKamey (1G)
Next Game: Thursday, April 3rd, versus Okotoks Oilers, 7:00 pm