Game Preview: GM #5 Vees vs. Okotoks Oilers
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Game Time: 7:00 pm PDT
Location: South Okanagan Events Centre
Radio: Bounce 800 AM
Webcast: Flo Hockey
Season Series
October 4th, Okotoks at Penticton
October 15th, Penticton at Okotoks (Showcase)
December 29th, Okotoks at Penticton
March 22nd, Penticton at Okotoks
Penticton Vees
GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
2024-25 Record: GP 4, 3-1-0-0, 6 PTS
Last Game: 4-1 win at Blackfalds, September 28th
Home: 0-0-0-0
Away: 3-1-0-0
GF: 14
GA: 10
Power Play: 1 / 12 (8.3%, 20th in BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 9/ 12 (75.0%, 12th in BCHL)
Scoring Leader: Anselmo Rego (2-3-5)
After a pair of long road trips to start the 2024-25 BCHL season, the Penticton Vees finally open the home portion of their schedule on Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre. They welcome the Okotoks Oilers to the SOEC for the first time ever, completing a run of five straight games to open the season against opponents from Alberta. The latest swing for the Vees yielded mixed results, losing 4-1 last Friday to the Brooks Bandits before dispatching of the Blackfalds Bulldogs by the same 4-1 score on Saturday night.
Newly appointed alternate captain Anselmo Rego leads the team in scoring through their first four games after collecting a pair of assists last weekend, bringing his point total to five through four games. As a team the Vees are averaging 3.5 goals per game through their first four contests, getting at least a goal from eight different players in those four games. While their powerplay has yet to find traction, they’ve created plenty of offense at even strength and are getting contributions from up and down the lineup in the early part of the season.
In goal it was Andrew Ness who picked up the win for Penticton on Saturday in Blackfalds with 20 saves, providing stability to a team that successfully bounced back after its first loss of the season the night before. While Ness was solid against the Bulldogs, it is expected that Will Ingemann will start for Penticton in their Home Opener Friday night.
Okotoks Oilers
General Manager & Head Coach: Tyler Deis
2024-25: GP 4 1-3-0-0, 2 PTS
Last Game: 7-2 loss vs. Spruce Grove, September 21
Home: 0-2-0-0
Away: 0-0-0-0
GF: 11
GA: 18
Power Play: 2/21 (9.5%, 18th in BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 10/15 (66.7%, 17th in BCHL)
Scoring Leader: Jacob Goudreau (3-0-3)
The Okotoks Oilers arrive in Penticton after sledding a tough road in the first two weekends of the BCHL regular season. They opened with a home & away series with the Brooks Bandits, losing both by 5-0 and 5-1 scores before splitting a home & away series with Cranbrook last weekend. In those four games they scored 11 times, with eight of those 11 coming in their lone win against the Bucks last Saturday night.
19-year-old Jacob Goudreau, a Lindenwood University commit for 2025/26, leads the Oilers in scoring through the early part of the season. His three goals in four games are tops on a young Oilers squad that boasts 12 players born in 2006 or later. Like Penticton, special teams have been a struggle for the Oilers as they rank in the lower third of the BCHL in all special teams categories through two weekends.
Olivier Ciarlo has carried the bulk of time between the pipes for the Oilers, playing three of their first four contests including in their win over Cranbrook. He is the expected starter for Okotoks on Friday night.
Puck drop will be just after 7:00PM PDT from the SOEC Friday as the Vees will host player introductions as well as a pre-game banner raising ceremony to celebrate last season’s Interior Conference Championship. You can follow all the action live on FloHockey or locally on radio thanks to the official broadcast partners of the Penticton Vees, Bounce 800AM.