Warriors must win tonight
With 5-2 loss on Monday, West Kelowna Warriors now down 3-0 to Vees in BCHL playoff series
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 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 with just 1:18 as Richter netted his second of the contest.
The Warriors spoiled the shutout bid and streak of 137:14 of scoreless hockey from Vees goaltender Kaeden Lane as
John Evans tallied 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 first-period 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.
The Vees opened the series with a pair of blowout wins at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
On Friday, the Vees opened with an 8-1 win at home. Jackson Nieuwendyk scored a hat trick in the win, which included a pair of short-handed goals.
Thomas Pichette added two goals with Luc Wilson, Bradly Nadeau and Josh
Nadeau scoring singles.
Josh Evans broke Kaeden Lane’s shutout bid with a goal at 9:00 in the second period. Lane had the win in net making 21 stops. Johnny Derek and Justin Katz combined to make 35 saves for the Warriors.
On Saturday, Lane had the shutout, making 20 saves in leading the Vees to a 60 win. Wilson and Bradly Nadeau both scored twice in the win while Josh
Nadeau and Stefano Bottini added singles. The Vees scored five of its six goals on the powerplay.
If the series requires a fifth game, it will be Friday in Penticton.
Nanaimo Clippers and Langley Rivermen were to play Game 3 of their Coastal Division final series Tuesday night with the Clippers leading the series 2-0.