Penticton’s (Tier 4) Fix Auto Vees peewee team showed improvement in defence while placing fourth.
The Vees hosted the Ignite the Ice tournament and after opening with a 7-2 loss to the Grand Forks Border Bruins, the Vees lost 6-5 during the third-place matchup.
“The guys really came together with their best effort to show we belong in the same rink as those guys,” said Vees assistant coach Dave Acheson. “It was a very exciting finish to the game. It finished in the shootout as they beat us 1-0. The goalies stood on their heads.”
In goal for the Vees was Jayce Canada.
Acheson said he and the coaches felt the players represented Penticton well, which was one of their goals. He also felt they showed strong improvement throughout the weekend.
“The players had a lot of fun,” he said.
After opening the Ignite the Ice tournament with a loss, the Vees beat Semiahmoo Ravens 4-1. That was followed up with a 10-2 loss against the Richmond Blues, who went on to win the tournament.
While the Vees lost by large margins in a couple of games, Acheson said their defensive play improved.
“We had strong goaltending and we responded well to the physical aspects of the game and we were hard on the puck,” he said. “We forechecked with a lot of energy.”
As far as how the tournament was run, Acheson heard positive feedback and thanked the parents, including Penni King, and the community for its support.
“They did a good job,” said Acheson of King and the other organizers.