Penticton Vees rally to double up on Vipers

VERNON – The Penticton Vees didn’t like their own start but they didn’t mind their finish Friday. Demico Hannoun and Jack Ramsey scored power-play goals one-minute apart in the third period, as the Vees rallied for a 4-2 win over the Vernon Vipers at Kal-Tire Place.

The win snaps the Vees mini two-game losing streak and is their third against Vernon in as many games this season.; their second at Kal-Tire Place.

The Vipers put the visitors on their heels early, as Luke Voltin capitalized on a Vees turnover just sixteen seconds into the game. Voltin intercepted an errant pass inside the blue-line and quickly put a wrist-shot upstairs on Hunter Miska.

The Vees turned up the pressure late in the first and despite outshooting the Vipers 14-11 in the opening frame, trailed by a goal heading into the intermission.

An early power-play did more harm than good for the Vees in the middle stanza. On the power-play, The Vees turned the puck over at the Vernon blue-line to Anthony Latina. Latina out-muscled the Vees defenseman in the neutral zone, broke in on a short-handed breakaway and went five-hole on Miska at 6:40.

Miska made an excellent save late in the second when he lunged out his right-arm to deny a tap-in by Luke Voltin. The eye-popping save seemed to turn the tide, as the Vees got back into the game late in the period.

The Vees next power-play produced much more favourable results, as Riley Alferd cut the deficit in half. Alferd corralled a loose puck between the circles and fired a wrist-shot over Jarrod Schamerhorn’s glove at 17:05; Alferd’s then team-leading fifteenth goal of the season.

Just like after twenty-minutes, the Vees trailed by a goal after two periods.

The Vees were handed a golden opportunity to tie the game late in the third and they didn’t let it go to waste. After Vernon was dinged for a four-minute high-sticking penalty, the Vees scored twice in one-minute to quickly turn a one-goal deficit into a one-goal lead.

First, Hannoun tied the game at two’s when he crept in from the left-wing and smacked-in a cross-crease pass from Patrick Newell at 14:31; his fifteenth tying him for the team scoring lead.

Then, on the very same power-play, Jack Ramsey parked himself in front of the Vernon net got his stick to Gabe Bast’s point-shot, redirecting it through Schamerhorn’s legs at 15:31.

Matt Serratore put the game on ice when he stripped the puck from Vernon’s Thomas Aldworth in the Vipers zone and slid it into an empty-net at 19:25; Serratore’s tenth sealing the comeback win.

Final Score: 4-2 Vees

Shots: 46-32 Vees

Power-Plays: Vees 3-7 Vernon 0-3

Three Stars: 1) Riley Alferd 2) Jarod Schamerhorn 3) Hunter Miska

The win moves the Vees record to 18-3-0-1; 10 points clear of second place West Kelowna. Friday marked the Vees first win when they’ve trailed going into the third period; now 1-1-0-0. Their road record jumps up to 10-2-0-1. With their three power-play goals, the Vees extended their power-play goal streak to eight games.

Penticton looks for a weekend sweep Saturday when they host the Cowichan Valley Capitals at the SOEC; puck drop is six. The Capitals handed the Vees a 4-2 loss last Sunday in Duncan. The Caps are on a three-game Interior road trip which started with a 5-2 loss in Salmon Arm Friday. Tickets are available at the Valley First box office (at the SOEC), or online at www.valleyfirstix.com.