Salmon Arm tops Penticton 5-1 as worst beats first
The last-place Salmon Arm Silverbacks always seem to raise their game against the first-place Penticton Vees.
Connor Sundquist and Nathan Iannone scored in a 51-second span early in the second period and the Silverbacks beat the Vees 5-1 in front of 4,225 fans on “Pink the Rink” anti-bullying awareness night Saturday at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Austin Chorney, Jared Turcotte and Ryan Hogg also scored as the Silverbacks (21-28-3-3) beat the Vees for the third straight time and fourth time in six meetings this season.
Turner Ripplinger scored for the Vees (38-13-2-1), who had their fourgame winning streak snapped and lost for the first time in eight games in regulation this month.
Both backup goalies started, as Trevin Kozlowski made 35 saves for the win (and first-star honours), while Nolan Hildebrand stopped 25 shots for the Vees.
After a mostly uneventful first 20 minutes, the visitors ambushed the Vees to start the second.
Sundquist jumped on a turnover in the neutral zone and raced in on a breakaway, beating Hildebrand between the pads for a shorthanded goal at 1:20.
The Silverbacks made it 2-0 just 51 seconds later as Penticton product and former Vees forward Iannone beat Hildebrand with a quick shot high on the blocker side off the rush.
Chorney made it 3-0 on a power play at 7:03 as his wrist shot from just inside the blue-line eluded a partially screened Hildebrand on the glove side.
The Vees finally gave the huge home crowd something to cheer about as Ripplinger was alone near the crease to hoist home a rebound of Griffin Mendel’s point shot at 17:30. Ryley Risling also picked up an assist.
The Vees pushed hard in the third but couldn’t solve Kozlowski.
Penticton got Hildebrand to the bench for an extra skater with 3:40 to go, but Jared Turcotte’s bank shot off the boards from his own zone slid into the vacated net with 2:27 to go to seal the win for Salmon Arm.
Hogg added one more, with Iannone picking up an assist, with 16 seconds left. Kozlowski, Chorney and Ripplinger were the three stars. The Vees play their final regular-season home game today at 2 p.m. against the Victoria Grizzlies,
who have already clinched first place in the Island Division. The Vees, 20-5-1-1 at home, will hand out their season awards on the ice immediately after the game.
ICE CHIPS: The Vees rested D Gabe Bast, inserting D Greg Brydon in the lineup in his place. D Mitch Meek (hand) and F Taylor Sanheim (upper-body) were the injury scratches . . . . Vees D Joe Leahy left the game in the third period after being pushed from behind into the boards . . . . Silverbacks F Akito Hirose also left in the third with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.
VIPERS 4, BULLDOGS 1: Riley Brandt scored two power-play goals late in the first period as Vernon defeated Alberni Valley 4-1 at Kal Tire Place.
Luke Gingras, with one second left in the first period, and Connor Clouston, in the third period, also scored for the Vipers (29-18-5-4).
Alex Macdonald replied for the Bulldogs (16-30-7-2), who were eliminated from playoff contention on Friday. Alberni outshot Vernon 36-30.