Image Credit: Cherie Morgan Photography

VERNON - Cody DePourcq celebrated his two hundredth career BCHL regular season game with a second period goal, as the Penticton Vees skated to a 4-3 win over the Vernon Vipers at Kal Tire Place Friday.

DePourcq scored on of two second period goals as the Vees had two separate two-goal leads in the second and third period respectively.

However, it was the Vipers annual Teddy Bear Toss night and Thomas Aldworth triggered the barrage of furry toys just six-minutes into the first. Aldworth cleaned up a rebound after the initial shot went off the crossbar and deflected right to him on the left-wing. Aldworth snuck the wrist-shot inside the post and Hunter Miska at 6:23; his first of three goals on the night.

The Vees did have some great pressure late in the first period and they were rewarded just before the period came to a close. Patrick Newell knocked down a pass right on top of the Vipers crease and forced the puck under Jarrod Schamerhorn’s pad and just across the goal-line at 18:16; Newell’s ninth and fifteenth point in his last sixteen games.

Mitch Newsome gave the Vees their first lead of the game midway through the second period. Patrick Sexton made an excellent play with his skate to keep the puck in the Vipers zone, and then fired a dart across to Newsome in the right-circle. Newsome forced the puck past Schamerhorn’s blocker at 10:44.

DePourcq padded the Vees lead a minute and a half later after he finished off a nice pass from Dante Fabbro. The rookie defenseman skated down to the left goal-line and quickly threw a hard pass across to DePourcq at the far-post. DePourcq quickly snapped the puck through the goalies legs for his seventh at 12:09.

The Vees didn’t escape the second period unscathed, as Aldworth made it a one-goal game late. After the Vees were called for a late penalty, Aldworth bagged his second of the game off the rush. Aldworth’s shot from the left-circle went off a stick and changed direction, going through the wickets of Miska at 19:30.

Lewis Zerter-Gossage scored a key goal midway through the third period to restore the Vees two-goal lead, and in the process snapped a lengthy goal drought. Zerter-Gossage settled a rolling puck just inside the Vipers blue-line and from the deep slot, put a wrist-shot up and over Schamerhorn’s glove at 8:30. That was Zerter-Gossage’s first goal and first points in nine games dating back to November 8th; Zerter-Gossage picked up an assist on Newsome’s goal

Aldworth was at it again in the third period, as the Vipers forward made things interesting late. With the Vernon net empty in favour of the extra skater, Aldworth had his shot from the slot go off a Vees defenders leg and past Miska at 19:30; Aldworth’s hat-trick goal.

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