Vees crush Coquitlam

Penticton has plenty to celebrate in 7-1 rout

A couple of lengthy scoring droughts ended as the Penticton Vees routed the Coquitlam Express 7-1 on the final “Wicked Wednesday” game of the season at the South Okanagan Events Centre in front of 2,957 fans. Ryan Sandelin scored twice as he broke a 23-game dry spell, defenceman Kenny Johnson notched his first goal in 80 games and the Vees busted out with five goals in the third period.

Owen Sillinger also scored twice and added two assists and Taylor Ward and Wyatt Sloboshan netted singles as the Vees (36-11-2-3) reclaimed sole possession of first place in the Interior Division, two points ahead of the idle Vernon Vipers.

The Vees have six games left and Vernon five.

Jack MacNab scored for Coquitlam (14-361-3), which has lost six straight.

Adam Scheel made 20 saves for his 25th win of the season, while Clay Stevenson stopped 36 shots for the Express, who need just one more point to clinch the last BCHL playoff spot.

The Vees grabbed the lead at 8:45 as Tychonick’s blast from the right point hit Sandelin and went in just under Stevenson’s arm.

The Vees kept pushing in the second and finally forged ahead by two at 10:11. Michael Campoli’s shot was kicked out right to Sillinger in the slot and he quickly knocked it home.

Coquitlam made it interesting briefly as MacNab scored just 58 seconds into the third period.

Then the Vees flexed their scoring might, connecting for four goals in a space of 5:53.

Sandelin got his second at 4:35 then Johnson notched his long-awaited marker on a shot from the point through traffic at 7:50.

Sillinger notched his second and 29th of the season at 9:32, then Ward made it 6-1 just 56 seconds later. Sloboshan finished off the scoring at 14:57. The two teams do battle again on Friday at 7 p.m. in Coquitlam before the Vees continue on to play in Langley on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Surrey on Sunday at 4 p.m.