Game Recap: Vees Sweep Bucks with Game Four Win.
Photo: Trevor Crawley
Cranbrook, BC – The Penticton Vees have advanced to the Interior Conference Final, after their 5-2 win over the Cranbrook Bucks, Thursday at Western Financial Place.
The Vees swept the best-of-seven series against Cranbrook and now face the Brooks Bandits in the Conference Final, which begins May 2nd in Penticton.
Penticton has now won eight straight games to open the 2025 Rogers BCHL Playoffs.
For the second straight night the Vees posted five goals and from five different players. Max Heise led the way with a goal and three points. Luke Posthumus, Callum Stone, Caton Ryan, and Matthew Biotti also scored. Louie Wehmann had a pair of assists.
Ethan Buenaventura kept his perfect record intact as he stopped 23 of 25 shots, as he improved his record to 4-0.
Posthumus opened the scoring at 7:12 of the first period after he pounced on a rebound in the Bucks’ crease. Posthumus scoring in back-to-back games. That lead quickly evaporated.
Cranbrook’s Jordan Murray tied the game at 1-1 just 21 seconds after Posthumus scored.
The game was deadlocked 1-1 up until the final two minutes of the second period, when the Vees scored twice in half a minute to quickly go up 3-1.
Callum Stone put Penticton ahead 2-1 with his first career BCHL Playoff goal at 18:09. His blast from the blueline found its way through a crowd and past the Bucks’ Jaden Cholette. On the very next shift, Caton Ryan made it 3-1 with just 1:17 left in the middle frame. Anselmo Rego dished the puck to Ryan in the slot, who beat Cholette on the stick side for his fifth.
Penticton didn’t slow down in the third, as Max Heise scored his first goal of the series on the power play at 3:08 that made it 4-1. The Calgary, AB, product tipped in Ryan Evers’ pass for his third goal of the playoffs. Three unanswered goals for the Vees.
Cranbrook’s Grant Denuccio gave the Bucks some life, when he cut the Vees lead to 4-2 after his shot from the wall found its way in at 7:36.
That’s where the Bucks’ comeback ended as Biotti scored an empty net goal at 19:41.
GAME NOTES
Penticton outscored the Bucks 16-7 in the four-game series. The Vees have yet to allow a power play goal in the playoffs, as their penalty kill is 16-16 through eight playoff games. Max Heise led the Vees with six points (1G, 5A) in four games against the Bucks.
GAME STATS
Shots: Vees- 38 Bucks- 25
Scoring: Luke Posthumus (6), Callum Stone (1), Caton Ryan (5), Max Heise (3), Matthew Biotti (2)
Goaltending: Ethan Buenaventura (W)- 60:00, 23/25
Vees Power Play: 1/4
Vees Penalty Kill: 2/2
Three Stars:
1) Jordan Murray (1G)
2) Caton Ryan (1G)
3) Ethan Buenaventura (23 SVS)
Next Game: Friday, May 2nd, versus the Brooks Bandits, 7:00 pm, SOEC.