It's been a long time since the Vernon Vipers defeated the Penticton Vees in regulation.
Dec. 13, 2019, a 2-0 shutout was the last time the Vipers defeated the Vees in a regulation BCHL regular season game. Since then, Penticton has won 19 of 20 games, with the lone defeat last season in a shootout.
Now, add one more to that list, as the Vees escaped at home with a 5-4 overtime victory on Saturday, Oct. 26 for their 10th win of the season.
Vernon scored three times in the opening period to chase Vees goalie Andrew Ness, as Landon MacDonald, Edvin Nilsson and Shea Busch (shorthanded) all found the back of the net.
The Vees promptly responded in the second, as Nolan Stevenson (power-play), Anselmo Rego (shorthanded) and Luke Posthumus all put the puck past Vipers goaltender Colin Reay in an eight-minute span.
Luke Bibby would answer for the visiting Vipers four minutes later, as the team went into the intermission up, 4-3.
In the third, with an even 11-11 shot split, Vees' Ryden Evers would nab his sixth of the season to knot things up at fours.
In the extra frame, Brock Reinhart's second of the season, off helpers from Caton Ryan and Matthew Cataldo, lifted the Vees to the 5-4 victory.
Will Ingemann made 23 saves in relief of Ness for his seventh win of the season, while Reay's 22 stops for the Vipers dropped his record to 3-4-1.
Next up for Vernon (4-7-2) is a home bout with the Victoria Grizzlies on Halloween Eve, Wednesday, Oct. 30.
Penticton (10-3) welcomes two Alberta teams, the Blackfalds Bulldogs and Brooks Bandits, next weekend.
