The Penticton Vees were bested 3-1 Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre by the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
The first period saw no goals but shots 11-5 in favour of the Vees. Throughout the game the team had multiple opportunities to take the lead during power plays, but were unable to make use of any of them.
Within the first minute of the second, Penticton was given a 50-second five-on-three power play, but the team was unable to register any shots on net. Six minutes later the Vees were given another 1:13 two-man advantage which generated multiple shots on goal. Silverbacks goalie Matthew Armitage rose to the challenge and turned aside each shot.
Shortly after that power play expired, Silverbacks responded with a goal by Wyatt Marlow. The puck landed on his stick after it was gloved mid air in front of the Vees net.
Andre Ghantous put Penticton on the board, tieing the game 3:29 later, when he toe dragged around a defender and fired the puck past Armitage’s glove. Despite five power plays and outshooting Salmon Arm 16-7 in the second, the game remained tied for the Vees at 1-1.
Both teams received penalties in the third, but it wasn’t until after that the Silverbacks took back the lead with a tic-tac-toe passing play. Andy Stevens gained the Penticton line at the right point and sent the puck across the rink to Nick Unruh, who then slid it to the front of the net for Hudson Schandor who deflected it past Jack LaFontaine.
The Vees doubled-down, pulling their goalie, but were unable to regain the lead. Trevor Adams would hit the empty net from the neutral zone with six seconds remaining in the third to seal the Silverback victory.
Shots on goal at the end of the game were 38-28 for Penticton, with Armitage named the game’s first star for his work in net. The teams face off again Sunday in Salmon Arm at 3 p.m.
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<>Jordyn Thomson | Reporter
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