Make it six-for-six for the Penticton Vees.
The defending B.C. Hockey League champions completed a season sweep of Vernon with a 4-1 road victory over the Vipers Friday night.
The Vees won all six regular season meetings between the two rivals.
All of Friday’s scoring came in the third period in front of a season-high 2,576 fans at Kal Tire Place.
Hunter Zandee ignited the partisan home crowd with an unassisted shorthanded goal for the Vipers at 3:54 to open the scoring with his wrist shot beating Anthony Brodeur.
The goal came after Vernon captain Colton McCarthy was given a five-minute major blow to the head penalty and game misconduct for a hit on Vees defenceman David Eccles, who left the game and did not return.
Vernon’s lead lasted all of 20 seconds when Easton Brodzinski took a pass from Nicholas Jones and beat Vipers goalie Andrew Shortridge. Those three players, respectively, were the game’s three stars.
Tyson Jost scored the game-winner 45 seconds later on the same powerplay.
Owen Sillinger made it 3-1 Penticton at 10:31 and Scott Conway added another insurance marker into an empty net at 18:18.
Shortridge finished with 41 saves while Brodeur made 34 stops to pick up his league-leading 20th win of the year for the Vees, who have won four straight.
The Vipers play in Merritt Saturday while Penticton hosts Salmon Arm in a battle of the Interior Division’s top-two teams.
Vernon remains one point back of Trail in the battle for the fourth and final playoff spot as the Smoke Eaters lost 4-1 Friday in Coquitlam.
Penticton maintains a 19-point lead on the second-place Silverbacks, who went to Wenatchee Friday and blanked the Wild 4-0.
