The Penticton Vees extended their BCHL-best win streak to 15-games Saturday night with a 5-3 win over the Cowichan Valley Capitals at the Island Savings Centre in Duncan.
Scott Conway and Chris Gerrie each scored twice for the Vees and Easton Brodzinski added an empty-netter late. Anthony Brodeur kept his perfect record intact, making 18 saves for his straight 10th win.
The Vees outshot the Caps 16-6 in the opening frame. Despite the strong start, the Vees had a tough time solving Caps starter Storm Phaneuf but eventually broke through inside the final 20 seconds of the period.
On a power-play, Conway made a slick move around a defender before blasting a shot underneath the crossbar and over Phaneuf’s glove at 19:45. The Caps responded 14 seconds later when Daniel Wanner knocked down a clearing attempt and with eight-tenths of a second remaining on the clock.
Conway put the Vees ahead a second time 39 seconds into the second period. David Eccles’ point-shot was blocked in front of the net but the puck bounced to Conway for the tap-in.
Gerrie put the Vees ahead 3-1 with a power-play goal. The Vees went three-for-eight on the man-advantage. More than three minutes after Gerrie’s goal, Ryan Burton put the Caps within one as he buried a rebound at 19:35.
The home team rode that momentum into the third and found the tying goal just over two-minutes in. After a Vees defender was caught in the neutral zone, the Caps broke in on a two-on-one rush which ended with Luke Santerno bagging his fifth at 2:12.
Penalty trouble hurt the Capitals as Gerrie’s second of the night was the winner as he squeezed the puck between the post and the Storms’ arm at the side of the net at 8:13.
With the goalie pulled, Easton Brodzinski scored his 10th of the season.
Prior to the game, Vees coach-general manager Fred Harbinson acquired the Canadian Junior Hockey League playing rights to forward Nick Jones (96) in a three-team deal, the team announced Saturday afternoon.
