Game Preview: GM #23 Vees at Langley Rivermen
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Game Time: 7:15 pm PST
Location: George Preston Arena
Radio: Bounce 800 AM
Webcast: Flo Hockey
Season Series
November 28th, Penticton at Langley
Penticton Vees
President, General Manager & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
2024-25 Record: GP 22, 16-6-0-0, 32PTS (3rd, Interior Conference)
Last Game: 6-4 Win vs Vernon, November 23rd
Home: 7-1-0-0
Away: 9-5-0-0
GF: 85
GA: 62
Power Play: 17/74 (23.0%, 9th in BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 48/61 (78.7%, 9th in BCHL)
Scoring Leader: Ryden Evers (9-13-22)
The Penticton Vees embark on a 3-game coastal road swing on Thursday, beginning with the lone matchup of the season against the Langley Rivermen at George Preston Arena. They’ll then make the trip on the ferry to Nanaimo to play Saturday before venturing to Powell River to finish up the trip on Sunday.
The Vees arrive to Thursday’s contest after a galvanizing 6-4 victory over the rival Vernon Vipers last Saturday. That win saw them erase four different one-goal deficits while playing with only 10 forwards and five defensemen for the majority of the contest due to injuries. Penticton scored in all five ways during Saturday’s game, notching an even strength goal, a powerplay goal, a shorthanded goal, a penalty shot goal and an empty net marker to cap off the evening.
Max Heise returned from a one-game absence to play Saturday and recorded a hat-trick in the victory. The 18-year-old forward from Calgary, AB, leads the team with 12 goals and sits in a tie for 10th in the BCHL in goals through 21 games played. Heise, a Michigan State commit, has taken a massive leap forward for Penticton as the season nears it’s halfway point. He’s relied upon not only on the scoresheet but as an important part of both sides of special teams as well as in the faceoff circle.
On the injury front, reinforcements have arrived for the Vees ahead of the weekend road trip. 17-year-old forward George Lovell (‘07) has joined the club on an affiliate basis and is expected to make his BCHL debut Thursday in Langley. The Vees have also re-signed a familiar name as Nate McIsaac (‘04) has rejoined the club from the NAHL’s El Paso Rhinos. McIsaac, from Kelowna, BC, spent the 2023/24 season with the Vees and will join former teammates Brock Reinhart and Nolan Stevenson to eat minutes on an injury depleted defense core for Penticton.
Ethan Buenaventura made his home debut in goal for the Vees last Saturday, picking up his second victory in as many starts. It is expected Will Ingemann will get the call against the Langley Rivermen on Thursday night.
Langley Rivermen
General Manager & Head Coach: Chris Shaw
2024-25: GP 23 10-8-4-1, 25 PTS (5th, Coastal Conference)
Last Game: 7-2 loss at Surrey, November 24th
Home: 7-1-1-1
Away: 3-7-3-0
GF: 73
GA: 84
Power Play: 23/86 (26.7%, 4th in BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 81/99 (81.8%, 3rd in BCHL)
Scoring Leader: Ryan Schelling (14-15-29)
The Langley Rivermen come into Thursday night’s contest in 5th place in the BCHL’s Coastal Conference after a so-so month of November. Since November 1st, the Riv have picked up points in six of eight contests but only drawn a so-so 3-3-2 record. They come into Thursday’s contest off a 7-2 loss to the Surrey Eagles last Saturday that saw them take a 2-0 lead early in the first period before giving up seven unanswered goals in the loss. The Rivermen play a very high risk, high reward style of hockey and rely heavily on their special teams to keep them in games.
Sitting in the top third of the league in both powerplay and penalty kill percentage, the Rivermen thrive with the man advantage, in particular. They lead the BCHL with 23 powerplay goals through 23 contests and use it as a difference maker to make up for some defensive woes that have seen them give up the 5th most goals in the league to date.
They’re led up front by 20-year-old forward Ryan Schelling, who leads the team in points with 29 (14-15-29). The New York native and former Surrey Eagles forward, commited to Providence College, leads the BCHL in powerplay goals with 8. He’ll suit up for Thursday’s contest having collected seven points (4-3-7) in his last four contests.
Goaltending has been a bit of a question mark for the Rivermen, particularly in the month of November. Three times in eight contests Langley has used both goaltenders in a single game, and it is unclear whether it will be 20-year-old Bodee Weiss or 19-year-old Charlie Tritt who gets the call against Penticton on Thursday night.
Puck drop is set for 7:15pm PST from George Preston Arena in Langley. You can follow all the action live on FloHockey or locally on radio beginning at 5:40pm PST thanks to the official broadcast partners of Penticton Vees, Bounce 800AM.