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Image Credit: Penticton Vees
September 15, 2013 - 1:27 PM
TRAIL – Anthony Conti scored twice against his former team and six different players found the scoresheet, as the Vees thumped the Trail Smoke Eaters 7-0 Saturday at Cominco Arena. With the win the Vees swept the two game weekend series in Trail and are the first team in the BCHL to four wins.
The Vees picked up where they left off Friday, as Patrick Sexton opened the scoring just fifty-seven seconds in the game. Sexton moved into the left-circle from the blue-line and beat Trail’s Dustin Nikkel on the short-side for his first as a Vee.
The power-play then roared to life, as the Vees scored three straight goals with the man-advantage before the period was out. During a five-on-three Max Coatta, coming off a hat-trick Friday, put the Vees up by two when he finished off a nice feed from Brett Beauvais at 8:27; his team leading fifth goal.
On the ensuing five-on-four power-play, Anthony Conti buried his first career BCHL goal on an odd-man rush. Conti skated down the right-wing and from the circle, put a wrist-shot past the blocker of Nikkel at 9:14.
Beauvais bagged his first as Vee on another playing inside the final minute of the first period. Beauvais’ shot from the top of the slot found its way through a maze of bodies and past Nikkel at 19:27. After the dust settled, the Vees were up 4-0 after twenty-minutes and were four for four on the power-play.
In the second, Josh Blanchard pushed the Vees lead to five, when he was the last to touch a bouncing puck in the Smoke Eaters crease. Cam Amantea’s wrist-shot handcuffed Nikkel and Blanchard poked the loose puck in for his first career BCHL goal at 14:04.
Conti picked up his second of the game late in the sandwich stanza on another Vees power-play. Chris Rygus’ blast from the point was stopped but Conti was on the top of the crease for the rebound. With his back to the goal, Conti wacked the puck through his and Nikkel’s legs at 18:27.
Brad McClure put the finishing touches on the win, with a short-handed marker late in the third. McClure intercepted the puck at his own blue-line and raced into the Trail zone on an odd-man rush. McClure cut to the middle of the ice and snapped the puck over Nikkel’s glove at 15:12.
Lost in the shuffle was the performance by starter Hunter Miska, who stopped all 31 shots he faced for his first BCHL shutout in just his second start; Miska was named the game’s first star.
Final Score: 7-0 Vees
Shots: 31-23 Trail
Power-Play: Vees 4/9 Smoke Eaters 0/9
Three Stars: 1) Hunter Miska 2) Ben Sexton 3) Cody DePourcq
The Vees push their record to a perfect 4-0-0 and are three points up second place Salmon Arm. Cam Amantea, Brett Beauvais and Max Coatta each picked up three points in the win; 11 Vees finished with at least one point.
The Vees finish up their season opening five-game road trip next Friday in Prince George, when the face-off against the Spruce Kings; puck drop is 7pm.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013