The Penticton Vees (9-6-2) had a 2-0 lead after the first period Saturday night, but the West Kelowna Warriors (10-7-1) came back with two in the second and three third-period goals to take the game 5-3.
Related: Vees take home a huge win against Merritt on Friday night
Just as the Oct. 27 game was about to start, the Vees announced the name chosen for their big blue Wolf mascot, who is going to be known as Harvee, from a fan suggestion.
Related: Meet Harvee!
Brendan Harrogate opened the scoring for the Vees 6:55 into the first. After stealing the puck below the Warriors goal line, Harrogate fired the puck past Brock Baier for his seventh of the season.
Late in the period, Cole Shepard scored his first career BCHL goal. Keeping on a two-on-one rush, Shepard fired the puck past Baier blocker-side from the right wing with two minutes remaining in the first period.
In the second period, the Warriors capitalized on a Vees slow start. A long stretch feed by West Kelowna was knocked out of mid-air by Lucas Cullen, who came in on a breakaway and beat Jack LaFontaine on the blocker side 3:16 into the second.
Nearly 10 minutes later, Cullen scored his second of the game with a quick pass on the power play to tie the game. The Vees held a slim 21-18 shot advantage after two periods.
Early in the third, the Vees got a lucky bounce to regain their lead. After Matthew Byrne dumped the puck into the Warriors zone, Baier went out of his net to stop it behind the goal. But the puck deflected off a stanchion and right to the front of the net for Cassidy Bowes to tap in for his first of the year.
The Vees’ lead was short lived as Parm Dhaliwal had a shot deflected right to him off the rush and beat LaFontaine over the glove to tie the game just over five minutes later.
With just under six minutes remaining, the Warriors notched up another as a stretch pass went to Bennet Norlin who came in on a breakaway, beating LaFontaine on the glove side to give the Warriors their first lead of the night.
With the Vees pressing for a tying goal and pulling the goalie, Eric Olson hit the empty net to seal the win for the Warriors.
The Vees next game action is Friday night when they host the Merritt Centennials at the SOEC.
Steve Kidd
Senior reporter, Penticton Western News
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