Game Preview: GM #23 Vees at Merritt Centennials

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Game Time: 7:05 pm PST

Location: Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, Merritt

Radio: Bounce 800 AM

Webcast: Flo Hockey 

Season Series

Sep. 23 Penticton 6 at Merritt 0

Oct. 21 Merritt 4 at Penticton 6

Nov. 4 Penticton 5 at Merritt 2

Dec. 2 Penticton at Merritt, 7:05 pm PST

Dec. 6 Merritt at Penticton, 6:30 pm PST

Feb. 4 Penticton at Merritt, 2:00 pm PST

Mar. 9 Merritt at Penticton, 6:00 pm PST

Mar. 22 Merritt at Penticton, 7:00 pm PST

Penticton Vees

GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson

Record : GP 22 17-1-2-2 (1^st, Interior)

Last Game: 4-0 win vs. Prince George (Dec. 1)

Home: 11-0-0-0

Away: 6-1-2-2

GF: 99

GA: 49

Power Play: 26/75 34.7% (1)

Penalty Kill: 16/60 73.3% (15)

Scoring Leader: Callum Arnott (12-15-27)

Tonight, the Penticton Vees look for their third-straight win, as they face Merritt at Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Penticton has posted back-to-back shutout wins this week over Trail (5-0) and Prince George (4-0).

Friday, the Vees’ Andrew Ness made 28 saves as he earned his first shutout of the season. Ness was at his best in the second period against PG, where he made 14 saves.

Conyr Hellyer, Billy Renfrew, Brock Reinhart, and Ryan MacPherson supplied the offence last night. Callum Arnott had three assists in the win. Renfrew also had an assist. With his goal Friday, Hellyer now has five goals in his last five games.

Tonight, is the fourth of eight games against the Centennials this season. The Vees have won the previous three, including their last visit on November 4^th, a 5-2 win. Penticton is 12-0 in Merritt over the last five seasons.

Goaltender Will Ingemann will get the start tonight. He was named the BCHL Third Star of the Month, for the month of November, the league announced Friday. In five games, Ingemann posted a 4-0-0-1 record, 1.16 goals-against average, .952 save percentage, and one shutout.

Penticton is without forwards Thomas Pichette and Max Heise, who were hurt in Friday’s win. Defenceman Larry Keenan will also miss the game due to illness. The Vees will insert Austin Cameron and Carson Lesiuk up front, and Nate McIsaac on the blue line.

Merritt Centennials

Head Coach: Brian Passmore

2023-24 : GP 23 9-10-3-1(6^th, Interior)

Last Game: 5-4 OTL vs. West Kelowna (Dec. 1)

Home: 5-5-2-0

Away: 4-5-1-1

GF: 80

GA: 93

Power Play: 19/78 24.4% 5^th

Penalty Kill: 17/87 80.5% 5^th

Scoring Leader: Michael Felsing 8-21-29

Since the Centennials last played the Vees on November 4, they are 3-1-2-0 in their last six games and have collected points in four-straight. Their only regulation loss in the last month was to Vernon, 4-2, on November 17.

Those two overtime losses both came against West Kelowna, including last night’s 5-4 loss to the Warriors at home. Friday, Merritt led 3-1 and 4-3 but West Kelowna came back twice to tie and then won the game six minutes into OT. That was just their second loss when leading after two periods this season.

Jaxon Murray has made an immediate impact since rejoining the Centennials in late October. The veteran forward started the season in the NAHL, but since coming back to Merritt he has 13 points (8G, 5A) in 12 games. He has scored in five-straight games.

Merritt is looking to snap a 23-game losing streak to Penticton. The Centennials last beat the Vees on February 15, 2019.