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Vees win pre-season opener over West Kelowna

Desi Burgart and Turner Ripplinger score for the Penticton Vees over West Kelowna

Desi Burgart and Turner Ripplinger scored for the Penticton Vees who defeated the West Kelowna Warriors 2-0 in their BCHL pre-season opener Wednesday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

The Vees young lineup with new recruits was sprinkled with members of the Anaheim Jr. Ducks, who have taken part in training camp this week.

Burgart and Ripplinger scored 11-minutes apart in the second period. Vees goalie Nolan Hildebrand wasn’t overworked, but was sharp, stopping 20 shots. Burgart broke the scoreless deadlock just over a minute into the second. Ducks forward John Elliot spun and fired a centering pass, which Burgart redirected at the top of the crease. West Kelowna ran into some penalty trouble midway through and the Vees capitalized. Ripplinger’s determined effort down low doubled the home side’s lead. From his belly, Ripplinger jammed the puck between the goalie and the post at 12:39. The third period was fruitless like the first but the Vees’ Jacob Kamps nearly scored off the rush from the right wing. Kamps blew down the right side, but his bullet from the top of the circle rocketed off the cross-bar. The Vees outshot the Warriors 37-20.