PHOTO: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 8th, 2017
PENTICTON, B.C. – The West Kelowna Warriors got goals from Jared Marino and Chase Dubois but were on the wrong side of a 5-2 decision to the Penticton Vees on Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The Vees opened the scoring in the game at the 7:22 mark of the 1st period on a deflection. After a big hit inside of the Vees zone by Jared Marino, Penticton brought the puck up the other way and a shot from the left wing half wall from Joe Leahy was redirected by Massimo Rizzo behind Warriors netminder Nik Amundrud for a 1-0 Vees advantage.
The Warriors applied good pressure late in the period and were rewarded on a hard-working drive to the goal by their captain Jared Marino that tied the game with just 46 seconds remaining in the 1st period. Marino drove the net from the left-wing corner and had his first shot stopped by Vees goaltender Adam Scheel but collected his own rebound and put a backhand past Scheel’s glove side and tied the game at one heading into the first intermission.
Just 1:26 into the middle stanza, Taylor Ward gave the Vees their second lead of the night. The play started with a pass from Rizzo in the right face-off circle that came to Nicky Leivermann, whose shot from the left side was stopped by Amundrud but the rebound bounded out to the slot where Ward was in a battle with Parm Dhaliwal going to the net and deflected off of Ward and in for the 2-1 Vees advantage.
The period went by with some chances from both sides and it would be the Vees to strike once more in the 2nd period and take their first two-goal lead of the game at the 13:10 mark. Off a Warriors turnover inside their own zone, Cassidy Bowes fired a shot from the left-wing hash marks that beat Amundrud to the blocker side and put Penticton ahead by a 3-1 score.
West Kelowna started the 3rd period with great jump in an attempt to get the game within a goal but it would be the Vees that extended their lead to three goals for the first time on the night. Bowes tallied his second of the night as he stripped the puck from a Warrior defender in the corner and drove the goal line to finish on the blocker side of Amundrud for a 4-1 Penticton lead.
Chase Dubois gave the Warriors some life late in the game as at the 15:37 mark of the final frame, Dubois wristed a shot past Scheel on the glove side from the right face-off circle on the power play for his 12th goal of the season and cut the Vees lead to 4-2.
An empty net goal from Jackson Keane sealed the game in the Vees favour with 7 seconds to play in the game and give Penticton a 5-2 victory, their 12th win in a row.
Nik Amundrud got the start in goal for the Warriors where he picked up his 9th loss of the season while stopping 27 of the 31 shots he faced in the game while Adam Scheel turned aside 33 of the 35 shots he faced in the game for his 14th victory of the season.
FINAL SCORE: 5-2 Vees
FINAL SHOTS ON GOAL: 35-32 Warriors
Warriors PP: 1/4
Warriors PK: 2/2
3 Stars:
1) Cassidy Bowes (2-0-2)
2) Massimo Rizzo (1-1-2)
3) Adam Scheel (33 saves on 35 shots)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game: Luke Reid (0-0-0)
ATTENDANCE: 2,959
The Warriors (17-14-0-1) return back home on Saturday night when they host the Trail Smoke Eaters for the 7th annual Pastor Don’s Christmas Hamper Night. Fans are encouraged to bring cash donations which will be collected in the rink along with a dollar from every game ticket will be donated to Pastor Don’s Christmas Hamper program. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM from Royal LePage Place with tickets available for purchase online at wkw.goticketpro.com, at the Warriors office, by calling (250) 769-7051 or at the box office ahead of the opening face-off.
