GAME PREVIEW: Vees Look To Even Series In Game #2 Against Smoke Eaters
PHOTO: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography
The Penticton Vees open their 2022 playoff run as they host the Trail Smoke Eaters in Game #1 of their best-of-seven Interior Conference Quarter Final beginning on Thursday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE vs. TRAIL
Friday, October 15th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (4-3 Vees/OT) (BOXSCORE)
Saturday, December 11th @ Trail Memorial Centre (6-3 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Saturday, February 5th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (8-2 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
Saturday, February 12th @ Trail Memorial Centre (5-4 Vees/OT) (BOXSCORE)
Saturday, March 5th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (8-2 Vees) (BOXSCORE)
FIRST ROUND SCHEDULE vs. TRAIL
Game #1: Thursday, March 31st @ South Okanagan Events Centre (5-3 Smoke Eaters) (BOXSCORE)
Game #2: Friday, April 1st @ South Okanagan Events Centre (7:00 PM)
Game #3: Monday, April 4th @ Cominco Arena (7:00 PM)
Game #4: Tuesday, April 5th @ Cominco Arena (7:00 PM)
*Game #5: Thursday, April 7th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (7:00 PM)
*Game #6: Saturday, April 9th @ Cominco Arena (7:00 PM)
*Game #5: Monday, April 11th @ South Okanagan Events Centre (7:00 PM)
*- If Necessary
The Vees and Smoke Eaters come into Friday night’s Game #2 after it was Trail who took a 1-0 series lead on Thursday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Game #1. Adam Eisele, Jackson Nieuwendyk and Casey McDonald each scored their first BC Hockey League playoff goals in the losing cause while Kaeden Lane made 16 saves on 20 shots in his 1st loss of the postseason.
Vees Regular Season Leading Scorers:
Luc Wilson (29-46-75)
Josh Nadeau (40-32-72)
Bradly Nadeau (20-26-46)
Brett Moravec (22-19-41)
Casey McDonald (20-17-37)
Vees Playoff Leading Scorers:
Luc Wilson (0-2-2)
Adam Eisele (1-0-1)
Casey McDonald (1-0-1)
Jackson Nieuwendyk (1-0-1)
Stefano Bottini (0-1-1)
Collecting two assists in Game #1 was Vees forward Luc Wilson, who used his playoff experience to his advantage in being the only Penticton player to have playoff games under his belt heading into last night. The University of Minnesota State-Mankato commit has posted 2 goals and 10 assists for 12 career points in 14 playoff games and finished the regular season as the Vees leading scorer, amassing 29 goals and 46 assists for 75 points in his 52 games played.
Finishing the regular season off strong was Vees forward Adam Eisele, translating that into a goal in the opening game of the playoffs on Friday. Like Wilson, Eisele is a Maverick commit who collected 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 27 games played this season with the Vees while finishing the regular season with points in three of his last four games, collecting multi-goal games in two of those three contests.
Despite the loss on the opening night of the playoffs, the Vees are a confident team when rebounding the next night, something they did well throughout the course of the regular campaign. Penticton went 6-3 over the course of the year following a loss, including losing back-to-back games just twice all season.
The Smoke Eaters will look to take a 2-0 series lead following their Game #1 victory by a 5-3 score on Thursday night at the SOEC. Ridge Dawson, Zach Michaelis, Josh Schenk, Charlie Strobel and Corey Cunningham each found the back of the net in the win while Cole Tisdale was strong in between the pipes for Trail, turning aside 39 of the 42 shots he faced in his 1st win of the playoffs.
Smoke Eaters Regular Season Leading Scorers:
Brady Hunter (21-35-56)
Zach Michaelis (28-24-52)
Teddy Lagerback (25-24-49)
Quinn Disher (14-27-41)
Coalson Wolford (12-20-32)
Smoke Eaters Playoff Leading Scorers:
Zach Michaelis (1-1-2)
Charlie Strobel (1-1-2)
Corey Cunningham (1-0-1)
Ridge Dawson (1-0-1)
Josh Schenk (1-0-1)
As one of three players in the BCHL with a Fred Page Cup from playing with the Prince George Spruce Kings in the 2019 playoffs, Corey Cunningham factored into Thursday night’s Game #1 with a sealer of an empty net goal in the final two minutes of play. The Prince George, BC native has played a total of 32 career games in the postseason, amassing 7 goals and 6 assists for 13 points in that span while the Merrimack College commit has played a total of 211 career games in the league, scoring 49 goals and adding 55 assists for 104 points during his regular season career.
Cole Tisdale was lights out on Thursday night in Game #1 of the playoffs and will look to replicate what he did in the opening game of the playoffs into Game #2 on Friday night. The Lethbridge, Alberta native turned aside 39 of the 42 shots thrown his way on Thursday in the win and has faced a total of 86 shots over his last two games, making 78 saves in that span for a .907 save percentage in those two games.
The Vees and Smoke Eaters play in Game #2 of their best-of-seven Interior Conference Quarter Final series on Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Puck drop is slated for 7:0 PM at the SOEC with tickets available for purchase at the Valley First Box Office at the SOEC as well as online at valleyfirsttix.com.