The road doesn't get any easier for the Westside Warriors as they try to climb back into the playoff race in the B.C. Hockey League's Interior Conference.
The Warriors will play host to the red hot Penticton Vees Friday before heading north for a showdown with the Prince George Cougars Saturday and Sunday.
Westside enter the weekend with just one win in its last 12 games after having two points taken away by the league for playing an ineligible player.
They've fallen to seventh in the eight team Interior Conference, seven points in back of Chilliwack which holds down the fourth and final playoff spot.
While the Warriors have had their struggles winning of late, it's been entirely the opposite for the Vees.
Penticton comes into Friday's game riding a 10-game winning streak. They've outscored the opposition 64-24 over that span.
The streak has also allowed the Vees (22-3-0-2) to open up a 13 point lead over second place Merritt.
"They're probably the best team I have ever seen in the B.C. Hockey League," says Warriors head coach Rylan Ferster in describing the Vees.
"And, I've coached some very talented teams in this league."
Ferster says one of the keys to staying with Penticton is staying out of the penalty box. The Vees lead the league with a power-play efficiency of nearly 32 per cent.
The Vees also boast six of the league's top 10 point getters including Connor Reilly who leads the league with 23 goals and 51 points. Reilly (23g – 28a) who torched the Warriors for five goals the last time the two teams met.
