Game Recap: Four goal first period leads Vees to win over Blackfalds
Photo: Cherie Morgan Photography
PENTICTON, B.C. – The Penticton Vees strong start was the difference on Friday, as they scored four goals in the first period, in their 5-2 win over the Blackfalds Bulldogs, at the South Okanagan Events Centre (SOEC).
The Vees have now won back-to-back games as they turn their attention to Saturday’s game with the BCHL’s first place team, the Brooks Bandits.
Penticton had a dominant opening 20 minutes, as they scored four goals on 14 shots in the first. Ben Merrill, who scored twice Friday, put the Vees ahead 1-0 not even three minutes in, and Penticton never looked back.
Simon Meier and Max Heise also scored in the opening frame for the Vees, who improved their record to 4-0-0-0 at the SOEC this season.
Sharky Nowek earned his second win in as many starts, as he turned aside 13 of 15 shots. Nowek was named the game’s third star.
Merrill put the Vees ahead 1-0 at 2:49 after he redirected Casey Brown’s shot from the wing.
Simon Meier is slick with it
@Fraser_Vees #BCHL | @PentictonVees pic.twitter.com/sG6ka3KK75
— BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague) November 2, 2024
Meier doubled Penticton’s advantage when he scored from the slot after he charged down the middle. Meier’s first goal since October 19th had the home team up 2-0 midway through the first.
After Blackfalds cut the Vees lead down to 2-1, Luke Posthumus and Max Heise scored twice in three and a half minutes to put Penticton up 4-1. Posthumus made it 3-1 after he scored from inside the crease at 16:32. Caton Ryan fed the puck over to Posthumus with a cross-crease pass.
Heise scored his team-leading eighth of the season with just five seconds left in the frame. Blackfalds turned the puck over inside their own zone and it was Meier who quickly found Heise with a pass out front and he scored glove side.
Bulldogs started Waylon Esche surrendered four goals on 14 shots in the first, before being replaced by Dylan Adams in the second. Adams stopped 22 of 23 shots over the final two periods.
The Vees ran into penalty trouble in the second and the Bulldogs capitalized on a five-on-three power play. Jayden Joly cut the Vees’ lead down to 4-2 after he wired a one-timer from the right wing at 5:13. The Bulldogs scored the lone goal in the middle frame and outshot the Vees 8-6.
It stayed 4-2 up until late in the third when Merrill scored his second of the game at 13:11 to finish off the scoring. Zach Nyman hit Merrill with a stretch pass at the Bulldogs’ blue line and the Montreal Canadiens draft pick came down the wing and scored on the block-side of Dylan Adams.
GAME NOTES
Vees’ Captain Conyr Hellyer left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury. Penticton improved their record to 2-0 against Blackfalds this season. The Vees are now 7-0-0-0 when scoring first.
GAME STATS
Shots: Vees- 37 Bulldogs-15
Scoring: Ben Merrill (4, 5), Simon Meier (3), Max Heise (8), Luke Posthumus (6)
Goaltending: Sharky Nowek (W) 13/15, 60:00
Vees Power-Play: 0/5
Vees Penalty-Kill: 2/3
Three Stars:
- Ben Merrill
- Max Heise
- Sharky Nowek
Up Next: The Vees (11-3-0-0) host the Brooks Bandits (13-1-0-0) at the SOEC on Saturday, November 2nd, puck drop is 6:00 pm. Tickets are available at the Valley First box office, or online at www.valleyfirsttix.com