The Penticton Vees (7-4-1) and West Kelowna Warriors (6-7-1) meet for the first time this season Friday night at Royal LePage Place in a tale of two teams trending in opposite directions.
The Vees, winners of five of their last six, were last in action Saturday night when they won 4-1 over the Cowichan Valley Capitals. Penticton went 3/13 on the power play as the Capitals ended the game with just five players on the bench following ejections to most of their team.
James Miller and David Silye each recorded a goal and an assist in the win while Derek Krall made 18 saves for his second win of the season. As of Friday Silye sits second in BCHL scoring with 22 points.
Miller’s performance capped off an impressive week for him as he was named the BCHL’s player of the week after recording three goals and three assists.
Related: Penticton Vee player of the week, new assistant coach joins team
The Warriors stumbled out of the gate with a 1-3 start to the season, but then went on a four-game winning streak. Since then, however, the Warriors have dropped five of their last six including a 5-1 setback to the Chilliwack Chiefs 12-4 Tuesday night.
The Warriors have been outscored 25-14 over this recent stretch and have given up 50 goals overall on the season, nearly twice as many as the Vees who sit first in the BCHL with 26 goals against, albeit in two fewer games played.
Related: Penticton Vees host division-leading Merritt Centennials
Last season Penticton took four of the six games between the two teams with both losses coming on the road. Friday’s game is the first of six meetings between the Interior Division rivals, who will finish the season series before the calendar changes to 2019.
The Vees will host the Warriors October 27 at the SOEC before two home-and-home series, one November 13 and 14 and the final two games before the Christmas break December 21 and 22.
Penticton is back home Saturday night for a 6 p.m. start against the high-flying Chilliwack Chiefs who currently sit atop the standings of the Mainland Division.
Penticton is in third place in the Interior, five back of the division leading Merritt Centennials and two behind the Trail Smoke Eaters.
The Vees also announced Friday that 2000-born forward Lukas Sillinger has committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks for the 2020-21 season.
Sillinger, from Regina, Saskatchewan, is in his second season with the Vees and has recorded three goals and five assists in 10 games. He is currently sidelined with an injury. As a rookie in 2017-18, Sillinger scored seven goals with 13 assists in 56 games.
Sillinger played an increased role in the postseason collecting three goals and two assists in 11 games. All three goals came during the Vees seven-game series against the Trail Smoke Eaters.
When Sillinger arrives at UNO for the fall of 2020 he will be reunited with former Vees assistant captain Taylor Ward who is currently in his freshman season with the Mavericks.
Sillinger’s commitment makes him the 15th player on the Vees roster to be committed to an NCAA Division 1 program.
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Mark Brett | Reporter
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