The Penticton Vees are the 2022 Interior Conference Champions.
A 6-1 victory against the West Kelowna Warriors on Wednesday night, May 4, completed a Vees third-round sweep, booking the team’s ticket to the Fred Page Cup Finals.
Wednesday’s win marks the 17th time in franchise history that Penticton has won the Interior Conference title.
The Vees are 2022 Interior Conference Champions following a Game #4 victory over the @BCHLWarriors and will play for the Fred Page Cup!
— Penticton Vees (@PentictonVees) May 5, 2022
GAME RECAP 📰 | https://t.co/5TM5laFcLo
📸 @tamiquanphotos#BCHLPlayoffs | #PaintTheTownBlue pic.twitter.com/5oR5aErFSU
Even though the Vees took care of the Warriors in four games, the newly crowed conference champions already know they’ll play the Nanaimo Clippers in the Fred Page Cup Finals.
The Clippers completed a sweep of their own on Wednesday night, defeating the Langley Rivermen in the Coastal Conference Finals’ fourth game.
Scheduling for the B.C. Hockey League’s final series has yet to be revealed.
Vees goaltender Kaeden Lane was named the game’s first star on Wednesday, making 28 saves and collecting his 12th straight playoff win.
READ ALSO: Penticton Vees’ Fred Harbinson reflects on team’s recent success
Forward Jackson Nieuwendyk found the back of the net twice, joining Casey McDonald, Josh Nadeau, Adam Eisele and Ethan Mann as the Penticton goal scorers.
Though West Kelowna scored the game’s opening goal for the first time in the series, the Vees responded just 38 seconds later, courtesy of Nieuwendyk finding the back of the net.
READ ALSO: Jackson Nieuwendyk scores hat trick, leads team to 8-1 playoff victory
From there, Penticton would score five unanswered markers to cruise to their fifth Fred Page Cup Finals appearance since 2011.
While the finals’ schedule has yet to be determined, the Vees are guaranteed to have home-ice advantage after posting the best 2021-2022 regular-season record in the BCHL.
@lgllockhart
logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com
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