Game Preview: Vees look for series sweep in Game Four
Photo: Trevor Crawley
SERIES
GM 1: Cranbrook 1 at Penticton 3, April 18
GM 2: Cranbrook 1 at Penticton 3, April 19
GM 3: Penticton 5 at Cranbrook 3, April 23
GM 4: Penticton at Cranbrook, April 24, 6:00 pm PDT
GM 5: Cranbrook at Penticton, April 26, 6:00 pm PDT*
GM 6: Penticton at Cranbrook, April 27, 5:00 pm PDT*
GM 7: Cranbrook at Penticton, April 29, 7:00 pm PDT*
*If necessary
PENTICTON VEES
President, General Manager & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
2024-25 Record: 7 GP 7-0-0-0
Home: 4-0-0-0
Away: 3-0-0-0
GF: 30
GA: 10
Power Play: (5/21) 23.8%, 6th BCHL
Penalty Kill: (14/14) 100%, 1st BCHL
Scoring Leader: Max Heise (2-8-10)
The Vees are one win away from advancing to the Interior Conference Final after their 5-3 Game Three win on Wednesday. Penticton now leads their best-of-seven series against Cranbrook 3-0.
Simon Meier scored twice in Game Three, his second goal credited to him after Cranbrook was penalized for throwing their stick at the puck, while Meier was shooting at the empty net. Oscar Pantzare, Tristan Petersen, and Luke Posthumus also scored for Penticton. Ben Merrill and Ryden Evers each had two assists.
Meier’s line with Evers and Petersen combined for six points in Game Three. That after the trio had just two points in the previous two games of the series.
Penticton got off to a great start last night, going up 2-0 in the opening 10 minutes. They will need another start like that tonight against a desperate Cranbrook team looking to keep their season alive and extend the series to a fifth game back in Penticton on Saturday.
The Vees will make one lineup change and that’s in goal. Ethan Buenaventura will get the start tonight. He’s 3-0 in the postseason with a 1.00 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.
Penticton has quietly put together a seven-game win streak to start the BCHL Playoffs. They are 3-0 on the road too.
CRANBROOK BUCKS
General Manager & Head Coach: Ryan Donald
2024-25 Record: 9 GP 4-5
Home: 2-2
Away: 2-3
GF: 22
GA: 29
Power Play: (2/15), 11.8%, 14th BCHL
Penalty Kill: (4/25) 84%, 4th BCHL
Scoring Leader: Rasmus Svartström (5-1-6)
For Cranbrook, it’s simple: win or your season is over. You can certainly expect a desperate, highly motivated team tonight as they look to stave off elimination and send this series back to Penticton for a Game Five.
The Bucks are 2-2 at Western Financial Place in the playoffs and will look for a much better start at home in Game Four. Last night they got behind the eight ball, going down 2-0 in the first 10 minutes and were outshot 10-4 halfway through the opening frame. The Bucks have only scored first in three of their nine playoff games.
Cranbrook did show some good push back in the second period, scoring twice to erase that two-goal deficit, but were undone by an unlucky bounce. The Vees’ 3-2 goal, late in the second, ended up going off goalie Jaden Cholette’s mask and in, after Petersen fired from the corner.
Veterans will have to lead the way tonight, especially their 20-year-old players who are facing the prospect of playing their last junior game. That should be motivation in itself.