CHILLIWACK, BC - The Penticton Vees are returning home with a perfect record from the BCHL Bauer Showcase after a 3-2 victory over the Alberni Valley Bulldogs Saturday afternoon. The Vees picked up a 2-1 win Friday against the Victoria Grizzlies and leave the Fraser Valley without dropping a single point.

The line of Ben Dalpe, Ryan Gropp and Brad McClure picked up where they left off on Friday, as the three combined for two goals and six points; all three finished with two points each.

Gropp, who scored the game-winner Friday, opened the scoring Saturday, cleaning up a rebound in the Bulldogs crease at 8:41 of the opening frame. McClure’s shot from the slot was stopped by Alberni Valley’s Brad Rebagliati but the rebound was kicked-out to Gropp who quickly scooped the puck up and over the Bulldogs keeper.

The score would remain unchanged until midway through the middle stanza when the Bulldogs drew level. Justin Georgeson was first to a dump-in in the corner and dished the puck out front to a streaking Mak Barden, who just got enough on the puck to lift it over the leg of a diving Hunter Miska; the ‘Dogs equalizer coming at 8:04.

The deadlock didn’t last long, as the Vees pulled ahead again less than three minutes later. On the power-play, McClure found the puck in the midst of a goal-mouth scramble and slid it past a prone Rebagliati for his second in as many games at 10:52.

Max Coatta put the Vees ahead by two in the opening minutes of the third period. Coatta raced in the Bulldogs zone on an odd-man rush with Josh Blanchard. Coatta broke down the left-wing and was hit with a cross-zone pass from Blanchard. As he cut to the net Coatta fell to his knees but still managed to get a shot off that beat the Bulldogs goalie over the shoulder at 3:40; his first career BCHL goal.

Jared Wilson pulled the Bulldogs back within one late in the game. During a five-on-three power-play, Wilson rifled a shot from the right-circle over the glove of Miska at 16:12.

However, that’s as close as the Bulldogs would get, as Hunter Miska stopped Josh Adkins twice in the final moments to preserve the win. 

Final Score: 3-2 Vees

Shots: 42-18 Vees

Power-Play:  Vees 1/4 Bulldogs 1/5

Three Stars: 1) Ben Dalpe 2) Brad Rebagliati (Bulldogs) 3) Ryan Gropp

The Vees continued on the road next weekend with a double-header in Trail against the Smoke Eaters starting Friday night at 7:30. The Vees and Smokies play again the following night again at 7:30pm.

News from © iNFOnews, 2013