Game Recap: Saints surprise Vees with OT at SOEC
Photo: Cherie Morgan
Penticton, BC – The Penticton Vees had their four-game win streak come to an end on Friday, losing 4-3 in overtime to the Spruce Grove Saints at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The Vees came into Friday’s game 35 points ahead of the ninth place Saints, but it was the team on the outside looking into the playoff picture that showed more desperation.
“Tonight, one team was fighting for their playoff lives and the other was out for a Sunday stroll in the first two periods. We got heavily outplayed by Spruce Grove in the early. We got better as the game moved into the second and third, but it doesn’t matter who you’re playing in this league, you need 60 minute efforts,” said Assistant General Manager Matt Miller post-game.
With the overtime point, the Vees remain four points ahead of the Brooks Bandits for top spot in the BCHL, after Brooks’ overtime loss in Cranbrook. Despite the loss, Penticton extended their point streak to six games (4-0-2-0).
Spruce Grove picked up their first road win since December 14th, snapping a seven game losing streak away from Grant Fuhr Arena.
Max Heise, Nolan Stevenson, and Conyr Hellyer scored for the Vees. Heise and Hellyer had two points in the loss and Caton Ryan had three assists.
Penticton put together a late rally to force overtime, as they were down 3-1 with under three minutes to go, before Stevenson and Hellyer scored less than two minutes apart to force overtime. Stevenson scored a power play goal at 17:14 to make it 3-2, before Hellyer scored shorthanded at 19:01 to tie it 3-3. Both Stevenson and Hellyer scored with the goalie pulled.
Spruce Grove’s Marko Djordjevic spoiled the comeback with his overtime goal 1:57 into the extra frame. His first career BCHL goal came on a breakaway, as the Saints picked up a valuable second point.
The Saints scored twice on seven shots in the first period. Max Seguin put Spruce Grove after he scored on the power play at 9:37, after he got a piece of Ryan Johnstone’s shot from up top. Carson Lloyd doubled the Saints lead late in the opening frame. Llyod scored on the blocker side of the Vees’ Will Ingemann at 15:09.
The Saints took a 2-0 lead into the third period, on the back of goaltender Ryan De Kok after he stopped 26 shots in the first two periods.
Heise got the Vees on the scoresheet and into the game win his goal eight and a half minutes into the third that made it 2-1. Heise was credited with his 23rd goal at 8:38 after a lengthy video review by the four officials. It was ruled the puck went off his skate, over the sprawled out defenceman, and rolled over the goal line, before the puck was swiped by a glove.
Spruce Grove went back ahead 3-1 with any empty goal by Matheson Mason at 16:27, but the Vees didn’t go away quietly. Two goals from Stevenson and Hellyer inside the final three minutes pushed Friday’s game into overtime.
GAME NOTES
The Vees are now 4-5 in overtime this season. Caton Ryan has six points (1G, 5A) in his last two games. Stevenson extended his point streak to four games and has seven points in his last three games.
GAME STATS
Shots: Vees- 40 Saints- 21
Scoring: Max Heise (23), Nolan Stevenson (8), Conyr Hellyer (9)
Goaltending: Will Ingemann (L), 59:14, 17/20
Vees Power Play: 1/7
Vees Penalty Kill: 4/5
Three Stars:
1) Ryan De Kok (37 SVS)
2) Max Seguin (1G, 1A)
3) Max Heise (1G, 1A)
Up Next: The Vees (34-7-5-0) host the Alberni Valley Bulldogs (23-19-2-1) at the SOEC on Saturday, March 1st, at 6:00 pm