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Image Credit: Penticton Vees
April 17, 2013 - 6:30 AM
A third period flurry propelled the Penticton Vees to a 3-2 win in Game Four of the Fred Page Cup Final. The win evens the best-of-seven series at two games apiece, and sets up a best-of-three finish starting Thursday in Surrey.
The Vees held serve on home ice and kept pushed their record to a perfect 7-0 at the SOEC.
Trailing by one to start the third period, the Vees exploded for three goals in the first eight minutes. Wade Murphy wasted little time leveling the game at one’s on the Vees first and only power-play. Murphy took a pass from Sam Mellor on the wall, skated into the left-circle and squeezed a wrist-shot through the legs of Michael Santaguida just fifty-eight seconds into the frame; Murphy’s fifth and second of the series.
Less than two-minutes later the Vees seized their first lead of the game, when Ryan Gropp pounced on a fortuitous bounce in the Eagles zone. Bryan Sinz shot the puck in off the end-wall, which then jumped out on the near-side to Gropp in the right-circle. Gropp timed the bounce perfectly and put a quick shot past a surprised Santaguida at 2:26; the 16 year-old picking up his fourth of the playoffs.
Nic Pierog somewhat muted the boisterous crowd of over eighteen-hundred just three-minutes later. On a Vees line-change, Pierog got behind the defense and skated in on a partial break and tucked the puck up underneath the cross-bar at 5:40; Pierog now with goals in all four games of the series.
The crowd didn’t have to wait long to get up off their feet again, as Jedd Soleway put the Vees ahead for good two and a half minutes later. John Siemer from the left-wing corner found Soleway charging to the net on a line-change. Soleway one-touched the pass and put his shot past the blocker of Santaguida at 8:04; Soleway’s first goal in six games.
Despite the two teams combining for four goals in the final twenty-minutes, the first two periods generated just one goal and from an unlikely source. Affiliate Player Anthony Brito opened the scoring for the Eagles late in the second period. Kevan Kilistoff from the right-circle fired a pass across to Brito at the back-post and he wired it past Chad Katunar at 15:39.
FINAL SCORE: 3-2 Vees
Shots 36-32 Vees
Power-Plays: Vees 1-1 Eagles: 0-3
Three Stars: 1) John Siemer 2) Michael Santaguida 3) Cam Amantea
Attendance: 1,832
NOTES
The Vees now have power-play goals in back-to-back games after starting 0-6 on the man advantage in the series. The Vees also improve their record to 4-2 when trailing after forty-minutes in the post-season. Three different Vees scored and seven in total found the score-sheet in the win.
UP NEXT
After a day off Wednesday, the series resumes on Thursday, April 18th at the South Surrey Arena for Game Five. The Vees are organizing a fan bus to the game on Thursday and tickets are $60, which includes a pizza dinner and your game ticket. Phone the Vees office at 250-493-8337 to reserve your spot.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013