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Image Credit: Penticton Vees
April 16, 2013 - 7:11 AM
Brad McClure made sure he didn’t leave it to chance on Monday. The Vees forward sniped two first period goals, one short-handed, as the Penticton Vees held off the Surrey Eagles 3-2 Monday in Game Three of the Fred Page Cup Final. The Eagles lead now shrinks to 2-1 in the best-of-seven BCHL Championship.
McClure and the Vees were stymied in Game Two by the Eagles Michael Santaguida, including the puck-stopper making a desperation goal-line save on McClure. One game later and the Vees forward wouldn’t be denied again, as he opened the scoring on the power-play. McClure rushed down the right-wing and snapped a wrist-shot that exploded over the glove on the Eagles goaltender at 9:24.
The Eagles did answer back not long after, as Nick Pierog pounced on a rebound in the Vees crease. The initial shot was stopped by Chad Katunar but the puck dropped to Pierog for the tap-in at 12:16.
The Vees forged ahead again seconds later and it was their special teams shining through. Short-handed, McClure tracked down the puck in the neutral zone, skated in on the right-wing, dragged the puck around a sprawled defender and then snapped it short-side at 13:49.
The celebration however was quickly muted, as the Eagles capitalized on the very same power-play just forty-three seconds later. Adam Tambellini’s shot was blocked but Brady Shaw shoveled the rebound in from the crease at 14:36.
After a four-goal first period, the two teams held each other in check in the second. The Vees had two great chances in the frame off the stick of Wade Murphy but both attempts caught the cross-bar. At the other end, Chad Katunar made two key stops on Demico Hannoun and Trevor Cameron; the last a tricky deflection in close.
The two teams remained tied as the game moved into the third, and looked to remain that way before some heroics from the “trench line.” Travis Blanleil was sent in on the left-wing and hit a hard-charging Cody DePourcq at the back-post. DePourcq lunged out and tipped the pass just inside the post and past Santaguida at 10:53; DePourcq’s second of the post-season and game-winner.
FINAL SCORE: 3-2 Vees
Shots 40-28 Vees
Power-Plays: Vees 1-4 Eagles: 1-2
Three Stars: 1) Brad McClure 2) Chad Katunar 3) Cody DePourcq
Attendance: 1,760
NOTES
The Vees snapped the Eagles eleven-game win streak with the win and improve to 6-0 on home ice in the playoffs. The Vees are now 8-0-0 when the score a power-play; tonight was there first in four games.
UP NEXT
The Vees look to even the series at two games apiece Tuesday night, in Game Four at the SOEC; puck drop is 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the Valley First Box Office at the SOEC, or online at www.valleyfirsttix.com
News from © iNFOnews, 2013