The Penticton Vees hit the ice officially for the first time last night at the South Okanagan Events Centre for a preseason game against the Merritt Centennials.
And what a game it was, with the Vees successfully adding that game to what will hopefully be the first of many games in the win column. Scoring was opened up by returning forward David Silye at just 1:27 into the first, with the Centennials quick to respond. Newcomer defenceman Steve Holtz followed suit the next period, making the score 2-1.
Finally, forward Jay O’Brien made an impressive power play goal to finish up the scoring for the Vees in the third, icing a 3-1 victory for his team on home turf. Returning goalie Derek Krall made 19 out of 20 saves during his preseason debut.
On Saturday, the guys are headed to Merritt’s stomping grounds with a good mix of veterans and newcomers on each lineup. Yaniv Perets will take the net for Krall, marking his first start of the preseason.
Puck drops at 7 p.m. at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, or catch the game at www.hockeytv.com. The regular season starts on Sept. 6 with Penticton travelling to take on the Trail Smoke Eaters, then the Vees play their season home opener against the West Kelowna Warriors on Sept. 27.
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