Penticton Vees’ Will Ingemann reflects on making BCHL history

Will Ingemann was already having a league-topping rookie season — and then February happened.

Now, the Penticton Vees netminder can find his name in the BCHL’s all-time record book.

Ingemann, 18, set a new record for the longest shutout streak on March 1, after posting four consecutive shutouts and not allowing a goal for 260 minutes.

“It was probably after that third game where I was like, ‘oh wow, I haven’t allowed a goal in three games,’ but I didn’t let it get to my head,” the Wayzata, Minn. product said. “I tried to take one game at a time, not focus on the past and be present.”

Ingemann’s streak started on Feb. 4, with a 21-save performance on the road against the Merritt Centennials.

After he helped the Vees blank the Prince George Spruce Kings six days later, the University of St. Thomas commit recorded two more shutouts against the West Kelowna Warriors and Cranbrook Bucks on Feb. 17 and 24, respectively.

Now with six shutouts in 2023-2024 — one away from the most in a single season — Ingemann entered his next start on March 1 against the Langley Rivermen with history just minutes away.

The 18-year-old blanked the Lower Mainland squad long enough to surpass the old record of 252:17, held since 2012 by former Powell River Kings goaltender Jonah Imoo.

Langley’s Ryan Schellin scored at 10:26 of the first period to break Ingemann’s shutout streak at 260:09. The Vees’ rookie would go on to record his 20th win of the season.

The goaltender recalls Fraser Rodgers, the Vees’ vice president of business operations, telling him he had made BCHL history.

“I didn’t really know what the record was or anything, so I was pretty surprised, thinking ‘wow that’s pretty cool,’” Ingemann said. “A lot of people reached out in Minnesota after, like my buddies and high school coaches.”

Ingemann has appeared in 29 games during the 2023-2024 campaign, as of March 6. In his rookie BCHL season, he’s made the all-star team, sits atop the league in goals-against average and has helped backstop the Vees to to first place in the Interior Conference.

“Most importantly, I want to help the team win,” Ingemann declared. “I want to win the Fred Page Cup.”

He added that he looks forward to playing in a seven-game series for the first time, when the BCHL Playoffs begin on April 5.

“We want to keep the momentum rolling and take that into the playoffs,” the netminder said. “When you get wins, everything else comes second.”

The Vees are eight points clear of the second-place Warriors in the Interior Conference and return to home ice on Saturday, March 9, when they host the Merritt Centennials.