Image Credit: Cherie Morgan Photography
March 15, 2015 - 9:17 AM
PENTICTON - Connor Chartier scored two-minutes into double-overtime, as the Penticton Vees held off the Vernon Vipers 4-3 in game one of the BCHL Interior Division Final, Saturday, March 14 at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Chartier tipped a Miles Gendron point-shot up and over Jarrod Schamerhorn 2:11 into the sixth period, as the Vees take a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-seven series.
It was almost all for not, as the Vernon Vipers erased a 3-1 second period deficit and forced overtime with back-to-back goals from Thomas Aldworth.
With the Vees up two late in the second, Aldworth scored right off a face-off in the dying seconds of the middle stanza. TJ Dumonceaux won the puck back and Aldworth shot it inside the post on the blocker-side at 19:58.
Then midway through the third, Ken Citron’s point-shot went off a Vees defender’s skate and changed direction, sneaking past Hunter Miska at 10:58; the goal credited to Aldworth.
The Vees had their chances to win the game in the first overtime, including a pair from birthday boy Tyson Jost. Jost, who turned 17 Saturday, first had a goal waved off six-minutes into the OT period. Jost made a power-move down-low and looked to have roofed the puck over a sprawled Schamerhorn. The referee however ruled incidental contact and the goal was disallowed.
Minutes later, Jost was at it again, as he made another hard cut to the goal but this time his shot rattled off the middle of the cross-bar.
It was a good start for Penticton, who built up a two-goal lead after the first period. Dante Fabbro scored twice Saturday, including the ice-breaker six-minutes into the game. Fabbro took a pass from Demico Hannoun on a two-on-one rush and buried on the backdoor at 6:02.
Jack Ramsey doubled the Vees lead late in the first on an extended power-play. The Vipers Colton McCarthy was assed a four-minute double-minor after high-sticking Miles Gendron late in the opening frame.
Late into that power-play, Ramsey, who was camped out at the top of the crease, took a feed from the boards and put a backhand through Schamerhorn’s legs at 14:39; his second of the post-season.
Anthony Latina got the Vipers on the scoreboard nine-minutes into the second, after he rifled a one-timer up and over Miska t 8:47.
Fabbro put his team back up by two on another power-play. Right from the face-off, Fabbro let go a wrist-shot from the blue-line that found its way through a maze of bodies and over Schamerhorn at 12:13.
Fabbro was in the penalty-box at the start of the first overtime for a high-sticking infraction, but the Vees managed to kill-off the Vipers man-advantage, which eventually led to Chartier’s heroics.
Final Score: 4-3 Vees (2 OT)
Shots: 36-35 Vees
Power-Plays: Vees 2-5 Vipers 0-3
Three Stars: 1) Dante Fabbro 2) Thomas Aldworth 3) Connor Chartier
Attendance: 2,217
Dating back to the regular season, the Vees have won seven of their last eight games against Vernon. With his overtime goal in game one, Connor Chartier has goals in three straight, dating back to game four against West Kelowna.
The Vees look for a 2-0 series lead tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, March 15, in game two of the Interior Division Final at the South Okanagan Events Centre; puck drop is 6 p.m. Fans can purchase their tickets at the Valley First Box Office at the Events Centre starting at 10 am.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015