Game Preview: GM #48 Vees vs. Merritt Centennials

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Game Time: 6:00 pm PST

Location: SOEC

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 3 at Merritt 2

Dec. 6 Merritt 1 at Penticton 2

Feb. 4 Penticton 4 at Merritt 0

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 47 35-7-3-2, 75 PTS (1^st, Interior)

Last Game: 2-1 (OT) win at West Kelowna (Mar. 8)

Home: 19-2-0-0

Away: 16-5-3-2

GF: 183

GA: 96

Power Play: (49/161) 30.4% 1^st

Penalty Kill: (28/132) 78.8% 9^th

Scoring Leader: Callum Arnott (25-20-45)

The Vees have won five in a row after Friday’s overtime win in West Kelowna. Penticton’s point streak is up to 12 games (11-0-1-0), as they haven’t lost in regulation since January 26^th.

Ryan MacPherson and Francesco Dell’Elce scored for the Vees Friday. Dell’Elce the OT hero. Will Ingemann was the winning goaltender, as he stopped 24 o 25 shots. That win moved the Vees nine points ahead of the Warriors for top spot in the Interior.

Tonight is the Vees first home game in three weeks. They last played at home on February 17^th, against West Kelowna.

Penticton can clinch the Interior Division regular season title tonight the following ways: A win and Warriors’ loss, or even an overtime loss and a Warriors loss. West Kelowna hosts Prince George.

Only lineup switch for Penticton will be in goal, as Andrew Ness gets the call between the pipes. Ness is 2-0 against the Centennials. The Vees are without forwards Cade Littler (upper-body) and Zack Stringer (upper-body).

The Vees are 6-0 against Merritt in the season series. Ryan MacPherson leads the way with nine points (4-5-9) against the Centennials. Brother Connor nine points (3-6-9) as well.

Merritt Centennials

Head Coach: Brian Passmore

2023-24 : GP 47 19-23-5-1, 43 PTS (6^th, Interior)

Last Game: 5-4 OT loss vs. Vernon (Mar. 8)

Home: 12-10-3-0

Away: 7-13-1-1

GF: 148

GA: 177

Power Play: (31/157) 19.7% 13^th

Penalty Kill: (33/169) 80.5% 4^th

Scoring Leader: Michael Felsing (16-36-52)

Merritt is on a nice little run of late, winning five of their last seven games and have points in six of those seven. The Centennials sit sixth in the Interior, three points up on the Cranbrook Bucks.

The Centennials are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss at home to Vernon Friday. Merritt rescued a point last night after being down 4-0 early in the second period. The rally came in the second period, as Merritt scored four times on 13 shots to tie it 4-4 after two periods. Their third and fourth goals came 19 seconds apart.

Michael Felsing sits seventh overall in league scoring with 52 points in 47 games.

Merritt is visiting the SOEC for the first time since December 6^th and they are looking to snap a 26-game losing streak to Penticton. The Centennials last beat the Vees on February 15, 2019.