Michael Campoli’s first goal as a Penticton Vee (25-9-2-3) helped his team to a 2-2 draw to extend the team’s BC Hockey League unbeaten streak to four games against the visiting Trail Smoke Eaters (25-13-3-1) Friday.
Neither team was able to score in the two overtime periods in the fast-paced game in front of 3,000 fans at the South Okanagan Events Centre in which the Vees peppered Smoke Eaters netminder Adam Marcoux with 43 shots in the game
For Campoli, playing in his fourth game for the Vees since coming to Penticton from Boston College was actually his first goal since he was a midget in the 2013-14 season.
His wrist shot from the left point that floated past everyone in front of the goal at 15:22 of the final frame.
Trail opened the scoring on a bit of an odd play. Levi Glasman threw the puck on net from the left-wing goal line and it deflected up in the air. The puck hit Adam Scheel in the mask and was then batted out of midair by Blaine Caton with a little under seven minutes to go in the opening frame.
While the pace of play picked up over the second period, neither team could find the back of the net with the shots heavily in the Vees favour, 28-15, through 40 minutes.
The Vees finally broke through Marcoux in the third as Kenny Johnson carried the puck down the left wing and behind the net. Johnson let a wraparound go that deflected off the leg of Dakota Boutin and into the net to tie the game seven minutes into the third.
Carter Jones restored Trail’s lead with a nice individual effort, weaving his way through a few Vees players before firing a wrist shot past the blocker of Scheel with nine minutes remaining in the game.
Penticton continued to pile on the pressure with Campoli finally getting the equalizer.
With more ice available in overtime, the chances at both ends continued before Scheel made his case for save of the year. After sliding to his glove side to take away a chance down low, Scheel lost his stick and the puck was thrown in front. The original shot the post, but Caton found his own rebound and shovelled it on goal. Scheel swept his blocker hand around and denied a wide-open net for Caton to keep the game alive.
Wyatt Sloboshan had perhaps the Vees best chance of the extra frames, as he walked in alone on Marcoux from the face-off circles after a turnover by Trail late in double overtime.
The Vees now get set for a Saturday night game in Chilliwack against the Chiefs (19-16-2-2). The Vees are 2-0 against Chilliwack so far this season, who are coming off a 2-2 tie of their own against the Coquitlam Express Friday night.
