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Penticton Vees win Fred Page Cup

The Penticton Vees won the BCHL Fred Page Cup in overtime over the Chilliwack Chiefs
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Penticton Vees forward Duncan Campbell scored the OT winner to help the wins win the Fred Page Cup over the Chilliwack Chiefs in Game 7 on April 25. File photo

The Penticton Vees are the 2017 Fred Page Cup winners as BCHL champions.

Duncan Campbell’s goal 9:21 into overtime was the only goal scored in a 1-0 Vees win at Prospera Centre, giving the Vees their third title since 2012 and denying the Chiefs their first title since 2002.

“I’m feeling on top of the world, there’s no feeling quite like it,” a jubilant Campbell seconds after hoisting the trophy over his head. “I’ve never scored a goal that comes even remotely close to this one. We’ve been in a lot of big games, but this one takes the cake for sure.”

On the goal that set off the Vees celebration, Penticton defenceman James Miller sent a pass across to point partner Gabe Bast,who hammered the puck on net. With bodies in the blue paint, Chiefs goalie Mark Sinclair barely saw it and couldn’t get to the rebound before Campbell, who stuffed the puck across the line.

Though they made it into OT, Chilliwack’s hopes may have died on the first shift of the game when Kohen Olischefski slid into the end boards behind the Penticton net and got up limping.

He wasn’t right after that, though he tried to warrior through the pain. Deprived of his linemate, Jordan Kawaguchi was left to go it alone, trying his best to beat the Vees one on five.

He almost pulled it off once or twice.

The Chiefs Jake Smith had the most glorious chance of all when he got the puck in the goal-mouth off a pass from defenceman Colin Bernard, but the New York kid fanned on a backhand shot with Vees goalie Mathew Robson down and the top half of the net open.

Taking a pass from Lee, Ben Fanjoy had Robson beat but not the post, ringing his shot off iron.

Chilliwack doesn’t get to overtime unless their netminder Sinclair stops Taylor Sanheim’s one-timer from the high slot, and he made an even bigger save on Owen Sillinger one shift later as the Penticton forward blew past Carver Watson on a rush down down the right wing.

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