A perfect road trip on Vancouver Island and Sunshine Coast has lifted the Penticton Vees to the top spot in the BCHL's Interior Conference.
The Vees (19-6-0-0) outlasted the Langley Rivermen and Nanaimo Clippers with one-goal wins on Nov. 28 and 29, respectively, before thumping the Powell River Kings 7-0 on Dec. 1, to extend their win streak to four games.
Penticton's pre-holiday surge comes as Brooks finds itself on a three-game losing streak. Not only did the Vees overtake the Bandits in the Interior, but they also have the best record in the BCHL, as of Dec. 3.
“Our attention to detail was excellent," Matthew Vanden Berg, the Vees' assistant coach, said after his club's blowout victory on Sunday in Powell River.
"After a long road trip, and a quick turnaround from the night before, it would have been easy for our game to slip, but our guys stuck to the game plan and that’s why we had so much success, especially in the second period."
Max Heise scored his team-leading 14th marker of the season, and Matthew Cataldo notched two goals in the second period, aiding Penticton to its rout of Powell River.
Will Ingemann made 15 saves and recorded his first shutout of the season in the win.
The Vees will look to extend their win streak to five on Friday, Dec. 6, when the Sherwood Park Crusaders come to the South Okanagan Events Centre for the annual Teddy Bear Toss game.
Brooks (18-4-0-0) will spend its weekend in the Okanahan-Shuswap, as it visits Vernon and Salmon Arm on Dec. 6 and 7. The Alberta-based club currently sits two points behind Penticton for top spot in the Interior.
