Game 4 coverage of Vees/Chiefs series from SOEC
The Penticton Vees are one win away from their second Fred Page Cup title in three years - and fourth in 10 years under general manager and head coach Fred Harbinson.
Ryley Risling scored at 2:06 of the first overtime period to cap a rally from a 3-0 deficit as the Vees stunned the Chilliwack Chiefs 4-3 in front of 3,021 fans Wednesday at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The Vees lead the best-of-seven B.C. Hockey League championship series 3-1 and can close it out with a victory Saturday at Prospera Centre in Chilliwack.
Risling took a perfect pass from Taylor Ward and ripped a shot past Mark Sinclair from the slot for his second goal of the series.
Affiliated player Cassidy Bowes continues his incredible playoff showing, scoring a highlight-reel goal to tie the game at 5:53 of the third period. Bowes has a point in each of the five games he’s played since being inserted into the Vees lineup in Game 7 of the Interior final against Vernon.
Ward and Grant Cruikshank also scored and captain Nicholas Jones carded two assists for the Vees, who trailed 2-0 and 3-2 at the period breaks.
Jordan Kawaguchi scored twice and assisted on the other goal by Kale Kane for the Chiefs. Kawaguchi is the runaway BCHL playoff scoring leader with 16 goals and 37 points in 20 games, and has been in on nine of Chilliwack’s 10 goals in the final.
Mat Robson made 18 saves for the Vees while Mark Sinclair stopped 30 shots for the Chiefs.
The Vees had three power plays in the first seven minutes – including a 5-on-3 for one minutes – but couldn’t break through.
Instead, Chilliwack opened up a 2-0 lead with two goals late in the period. Kane ripped home a nifty spin-a-round pass from behind the net by Kawaguchi at 14:32, then McCarthy connected with a wrister from the left point through traffic on the power play from Kane and Kawaguchi at 18:44.
Things looked bleak for the Vees after Kawaguchi knifed home a rebound from in close after Robson stopped Kane on a jam play to make it 3-0 at 4:06 of the second period.
But the Vees responded by pouring on the pressure for the remainder of the period, outshooting the visitors 17-6 and scoring two goals.
Cruikshank took a short pass from Jones and banged the bouncing puck from the right of the crease over Sinclair at 11:13.
The Vees got on the power play and promptly scored to make it 3-2.
Jones threaded a perfect pass across the crease to Ward, who hoisted the puck beyond a lunging Sinclair at 13:00.
Bowes scored on a magnificent individual effort to tie the game at 5:53 of the third.
The 18-year-old Kelowna product gathered the puck near the red line, raced down the left wing, eluded a flailing defender and beat Sinclair with a high, hard snap shot off the middle bar to send the SOEC crowd into a frenzy.