Vees rally for shootout victory over Merritt
Cassidy Bowes and Connor Hutchison notched shootout goals as the Penticton Vees completed a thrilling 4-3 comeback win over the Merritt Centennials in front of 2,866 fans on Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Jack LaFontaine stopped both shots he faced as the Vees won for the first time in three shootouts this season.
James Miller and Eric Linell scored in the third period as the Vees overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat Merritt for the fourth straight time this season. Luke Loheit also scored for the Vees (10-6-0-2).
Mathieu Gosselin, Ryan Van Unen and Matthew Kopperud replied for the Cents (12-8-0-1).
LaFontaine made 26 saves and Vincent Duplessis stopped 38 shots for the Cents.
Merritt, outscored 11-0 in the first period of the three earlier losses to the Vees, took a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes as Gosselin scored on a wraparound with 2:03 to go in the period.
Loheit tied in on a sizzling wrist shot from the right circle at 6:05 of the second period.
But Van Unen restored the Merritt lead from Brendan Schneider at 8:10.
Seconds after Vees forward Ryan Sandelin hit the crossbar, Kopperud scored a power-play goal 4:47 into the third to make it 3-1 for Merritt.
But the Vees wouldn’t quit and Miller one-timed a pass from David Silye past Duplessis on a power play at 11:36. Five of Miller’s eight goals have come against the Cents.
The Vees poured on the pressure and Linell finally tied it on a rebound from Sandelin and Jack Barnes with 4:16 to go.
After Massimo Rizzo was denied, Bowes and Hutchison scored in the shootout, while LaFontaine stopped Kopperud and Gosselin.
Bowes, Loheit and Kopperud were the three stars.