Scott Conway popped in the winner, while Zachary Driscoll made 31 saves in a Penticton Vees 6-2 win in Merritt over the Centennials Friday.
Mitch Lipon gave the home side an early 1-0 lead with his 12th goal of the season. That lasted nearly three minutes when Taylor Ward, named the game's first star following a three-point performance, evened things up.
Twenty-five seconds into the second period, Dante Fabbro's 10th of the season gave the Vees a 2-1 lead. The Vees went up 3-1 when Ward and 16-year-old affiliate Liam Lytton set up Conway for his 42nd goal. About five minutes later, Zak Bowles got the Centennials within one. Easton Brodzinski netted his 23rd goal of the season for the Vees to close out the offence that period.
In the final frame, Dixon Bowen scored his fifth into an empty net at 18:56, while Ward finished off a play by Owen Sillinger and affiliate Daniel Stone, for his fourth of the season with 17 seconds remaining. The Vees peppered Centennials goalie Colten Lancaster with 53 shots.
Power-plays weren't a factor as the Vees went zero-for-four and the Centennials, zero-for-five. The win improves the Vees record to 36-5-0-1, while the Centennials, sitting in the Interior Division basement, are 14-26-3-0.