Vees prevail over Wild

Penticton downs Wenatchee 4-2 in entertaining battle

Ryan Sandelin broke a 2-2 deadlock with 7:08 to play as the Penticton Vees posted a big 4-2 victory over the Wenatchee Wild in front of 3,461 fans on Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

Captain Massimo Rizzo had a goal and two assists, defenceman Jonathan Smart scored his first goal as a Vee and David Silye added an emptynetter as Penticton (33-13-1-2) opened up a seven-point lead over the idle Merritt Centennials in their bid for an eighth straight Interior Division pennant.

Former Vees forward Matt Gosiewski, with his 27th of the season, and Chad Sasaki scored for the Wild (27-18-2-3), who dropped 10 points behind Penticton.

Jack LaFontaine made 22 saves for the Vees and Austin Park had 16 stops for the Wild.

Rizzo scored a highlight-reel goal 5:13 into the first period, cutting to the middle and ripping a perfect shot over Park’s glove and just under the bar. Silye and James Miller assisted.

Smart took a nice feed from behind the net by Rizzo to put the Vees up 2-0 at 3:08 of the second period. Cassidy Bowes, who left the game later in the period with an injury and did not return, earned the second assist.

Sasaki got one back for the Wild on the power play with 25 seconds left in the second and Gosiewski tied the game at 3:39 of the third, with Penticton product Nathan Iannone earning an assist.

On the winner, Evan McIntyre’s point shot bounced crazily to the net and then off Park’s shoulder, and Sandelin drove hard to the net to ram home the loose puck. Rizzo also got an assist.

Wenatchee got Park to the bench with 49 seconds left, but Silye sealed the deal with a 90-foot shot into the empty net with 22.3 seconds to go.

Rizzo, Sandelin and Smart were the three stars.

The Vees visit the Chilliwack Chiefs in a key game tonight at 7 p.m., with the Vees four points behind the Chiefs for first place overall in the BCHL. The Chiefs doubled the host Coquitlam Express 4-2 on Friday.

SILVERBACKS 5, WARRIORS 1

Nick Unruh scored twice as Salmon Arm won at home to spoil Brandon West’s return as West Kelowna’s head coach. West had previously coached on Salmon Arm’s staff from 2012-2017.

Aiden Jenner, Jarrod Semchuk and Matthew Verboon also scored for the Silverbacks (23-20-4-1), who built period leads of 3-0 and 4-0.

Austin Chorney spoiled Ethan Langenegger’s shutout bid with 9:26 to go. Langenegger was terrific with 41 saves, while Brock Baier had 32 stops for the Warriors (26-22-0-1).

The two teams do battle again tonight in West Kelowna, 7 p.m. at Royal LePage Place.

VIPERS 6, SMOKE EATERS 3

Connor Marritt scored twice and Jesse Lansdell broke the tie with 4:41 to go as Vernon triumped at Trail’s Cominco Arena.

Logan Cash, Lane Zablocki and Josh Latta also scored for Vernon (21-18-7-3), who exploded for five goals in the third period to erase a 2-1 deficit.

Mack Byers, with two, and Kent Johnson scored for Trail (18-22-7-3).

Vernon visits Wenatchee tonight (7 p.m.).