Vees bounce back to beat Merritt, 4-2

The Penticton Vees peppered goaltender Jacob Berger right from the get-go, finally getting rewarded for their relentless efforts in the third period.

Grant Cruikshank, Massimo Rizzo and Ryan Sandelin scored in the first five minutes of the third period and Dakota Boutin added an empty-netter as the Vees beat the Merritt Centennials 4-2 in BCHL action on Friday at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Jonny Tychonick and Luke Reid each had two assists as the Vees (9-1-0-1) bounced back from their first loss of the season against Langley on Wednesday.

Boutin and Sandelin each had two-point games as the Vees won for the third time in as many meetings with the Cents.

Bradley Cocca and Rylan Van Unen scored power-play goals for Merritt (4-9-2).

Nolan Hildebrand made 16 saves for the Vees while Berger made 39 saves for Merritt.

Despite outshooting the visitors 26-12, the Vees trailed 1-0 after two periods as Cocca got his first BCHL goal at 15:40 of the second stanza.

The teams combined for four goals early in the third.

Cruikshank scored a shorthanded goal on a two-on-zero break with Owen Sillinger to tie it at 2:16, but Van Unen put Merritt back ahead on the same power play at 3:18.

Rizzo restored parity again just 41 seconds later on a rebound of a weak backhander by Tychonick off the rush.

Sandelin put the Vees ahead at 5:00 with a hard wrist shot from the left circle over the glove of a screened Berger.

Merritt got Berger to the bench with 1:02 left but just 13 seconds later Boutin finished it with the empty-netter.

Sandelin, Vees forward Taylor Ward and Berger were the three stars in front of 2,912 fans.

The Vees head south of the border to take on the Wenatchee Wild tonight at 7:05 p.m., with the same two teams convening Wednesday at the SOEC. Wenatchee beat the visiting Surrey Eagles 7-4 on Friday.

Also tonight, the Vernon Vipers welcome Surrey to Kal Tire Place for a 6 p.m. start, while the Cowichan Valley Capitals take on the West Kelowna Warriors in a 7 p.m. puckdrop at Royal LePage Place.

Vernon and West Kelowna are tied for second place in the Interior Division, a point behind Trail Smoke Eaters, who beat the lowly Cowichan Valley Capitals 4-1 on Friday in Trail.

The Vees are in fourth place, four points behind Trail, but have four games in hand on Trail, Vernon and West Kelowna.

In other games Friday, Victoria edged visiting Coquitlam 2-1, while Salmon Arm lost 5-1 to the Chiefs in Chilliwack.