An eight-game winning streak came to an screeching halt this weekend as the Penticton Vees dropped both ends of a home-and-home series with the West Kelowna Warriors.
The host Warriors got on the board early in Saturday’s matchup at Royal LePage Place and cruised to a 4-0 win, handing the Vees their first shutout loss of the season.
Tyson Dallman opened the scoring on the power-play just 1:54 into the contest with Penticton defenceman Patrick Sexton in the box for a boarding penalty. Seb Lloyd put his club up 2-0 late in the second period, before Reid Simmonds added a pair in the final frame, his first on a dump-in from centre ice.
Netminder Olivia Mantha turned aside 17 of 21 shots and took the loss for Vees, who fired 25 attempts at the Warriors’ net.
West Kelowna kicked off the weekend set with a 3-1 win Friday at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The Vees (24-9-1-3) remain the best team in the Interior Division with 52 points, five up on the Vernon Vipers, who lost 7-2 in Powell River on Saturday, and are now one point behind Victoria atop the BCHL standings.
Following the Christmas break, the Vees return to action on Jan. 3, when they pay a visit to the Merritt Centennials. The two clubs will do battle again in an afternoon matinee on Jan. 5 at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton.
The Vees have 21 games left in the regular season, which wraps up March 1 with a home date against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.