Vees have series on lockdown

Beanie Richter scored his first two goals of the playoffs and Luc Wilson scored two of his own to lead the Penticton Vees to a 5-2 win over the West Kelowna Warriors in Game 3 of the Interior Conference finals Monday at Royal LePage Place.

The win gives the Vees a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 4 is tonight at Royal LePage Place.

In Game 3, the Vees took the lead just 55 seconds into the game when Josh Nadeau opened the scoring with his ninth goal of the postseason.

Wilson and Richter added goals to give the Vees a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. Johnny Derrick took over in the West Kelowna net for Justin Katz in the middle stanza as the Vees continued to press. Penticton put 15 shots on goal in the middle frame and were rewarded with a four-goal lead as Richter netted his second of the contest.

The Warriors’ John Evans spoiled Vees goalie Kaeden Lane’s 137-minute 14-second shutout streak with his second goal of the series.

Evans took a Marcus Joughin pass in the right face-off circle and sent a wrist shot on goal that inched past the blocker side of Lane at the 13:46 mark of the final period to make the game 4-1.

Wilson replied shortly after with his second of the game.

Marcus Joughin scored for the Warriors on a late deflection to make it a 5-2 final.

Thomas Pichette, Adam Eisele and Bradley Nadeau had two assists apiece for Penticton, while Josh Nadeau added a helper to his firstperiod goal to finish with two points.

Lane stopped 19 of 21 shots to earn the victory.

Wilson’s two-point night put him into a tie for the BCHL playoffs scoring lead with 19 points in 12 games.