WICKED WEDNESDAY

The Penticton Vees will face a much tougher challenge than they did on the last “Wicked Wednesday” one week ago.

The freshly minted No. 1 team in the CJHL rankings, riding a 13-game winning streak, take on arch-rival West Kelowna Warriors tonight in a 7 p.m. puck-drop at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

The Vees (16-1-0) won both meetings against the Warriors on Oct. 10-11, but West Kelowna has shuffled the deck since then. The new faces have helped the Warriors (9-5-0-2) piece together four wins and an overtime loss in their last five games and take over second place in the Interior Division.

“It should be a great game,” said Vees GM and head coach Fred Harbinson. “They’ve added some players and have a strong, veteran group. “We’re looking forward to the challenge.” The Warriors already have BCHL scoring leader Liam Blackburn (33 points) and solid cogs in Jason Cotton and Jonathan Desbiens.

Since the start of the season, West Kelowna has also added 20-year-olds Michael Buonincontri (nine goals and 17 points in 11 games), Andrew Johnson (eight points in 7 games), and this week acquired Brayden Gelsinger, 19, who had 19 points in 17 games with the Cowichan Valley Capitals.

The Warriors score plenty, but also give up their share, surrendering 62 goals in 16 games. Veteran Andy Desautels has a 3.30 goals-against average and.896 save percentage.

In the last meeting at the SOEC back on Oct. 10, the Warriors were playing well and leading 3-2 before coughing up two late goals and losing 4-3.

The Vees won 4-0 the next night in West Kelowna.

The red-hot Hunter Miska gets the call in goal for the Vees, while forward Cam Amantea is cleared to play after leaving with a lower-body injury in the Vees’ 6-2 victory over Trail on Saturday.

Tickets for tonight’s game are just $5 for adults/seniors, beer and fountain pop $2.50 and there will be a draw for a 70-inch television and home theatre system courtesy of Underwriters Insurance and the Penticton Speedway.

ICE CHIPS: Vees F Tyson Jost assisted on the overtime-winner as Team Canada White edged Team Canada Black 6-5 at the World Under-17 Challenge in Sarnia, Ont., Monday. Team White is now 1-1 in preliminary round action. Canada Red, which includes Vees D Dante Fabbro, beat Sweden 4-2 to improve to 2-0. Team Red is coached by Dan Lambert, the head coach of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets. All eight teams qualify for the quarter-final round on Thursday.