Game Preview: GM #20 Vees at Vernon Vipers

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Game Time: 6:00 pm

Location: Kal Tire Place, Vernon

Radio: Bounce 800 AM

Webcast: Flo Hockey 

Season Series

Oct. 27^th Vernon 3 at Penticton 5

Nov. 25^th Penticton at Vernon, 6:00 pm

Dec. 31^st Penticton at Vernon, 2:00 pm

Jan. 12^th Vernon at Penticton, 7:00 pm

Feb 16^th. Vernon at Penticton, 7:00 pm

Penticton Vees

GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson

Record : GP 19 15-1-2-1 33 PTS (1^st, Interior)

Last Game: 6-3 win vs. Victoria (Nov. 18)

Home: 9-0-0-0

Away: 6-1-2-1

GF: 89

GA: 47

Power Play: 22/69 31.9% (1^st)

Penalty Kill:  16/59 70.4% (17^th)

Scoring Leader: Callum Arnott (11-12-23)

The Penticton Vees are back in action after a week off, as they travel to the North Okanagan to take on the Vernon Vipers at Kal Tire Place. The Vees are coming off a 6-3 win over the Victoria Grizzlies on November 18^th, at the SOEC.

Penticton has won three in a row and have an 18-game (15-0-2-1) point streak coming into tonight’s game. The Vees haven’t lost in regulation in since opening night, way back on September 22^nd (5-3 in West Kelowna). Penticton is 6-1-2-1 on the road this season and this is their first road game since November 10^th, when they dropped a 4-3 overtime decision in Cranbrook.

Tonight, is the Vees debut of forward Cade Littler. The 19-year-old signed with the team this week after starting the season in the United States Hockey League with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Littler was the Captain of the Wenatchee Wild last season and is coming off a 29-goal season a year ago. He’s a seventh-round draft pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2022 NHL Draft. Littler will wear number 10.

This is meeting number two of five with the Vipers and the first trip to Vernon for the Vees this season. Last year, Penticton won both games at Kal Tire Place and tonight is their first trip to Vernon since January 25, 2023. Penticton outscored the Vipers 10-3 in two wins in Vernon last year.

Will Ingemann gets the call between the pipes for the Vees. The 18-year-old rookie goaltender is undefeated in regulation this season, sporting a 11-0-1-1 record, with a 1.89 goals-against average (GAA), and .925 save percentage (SV%).

VERNON VIPERS

GM & Head Coach: Jason McKee

2023-24 : GP 20 14-5-1-0-0 29 PTS (2^nd, Interior)

Last Game: 3-2 OTL vs. Trail (Nov. 24^th)

Home: 6-2-1-0

Away: 8-3-0-0

GF: 87

GA: 52

Power Play: 19/70 27.1% (4^th)

Penalty Kill: 11/67 83.6% (2^nd)

Scoring Leader: Owen Kim (6-21-27)

The Vipers opened their weekend with a 3-2 overtime loss on home ice to the Trail Smoke Eaters on Friday. Adam Parsons scored the game-winner for the Smoke Eaters with just 21 seconds left in the extra frame.

Vernon led 1-0 after two periods, despite being outshot 28-12 through 40 minutes. The Smoke Eaters scored back-to-back goals in the third period to take a 2-1 lead, but Vernon’s Isaac Tremblay rescued a point when he tied the game with a minute and a half left in regulation. Vernon was outshot 46-27.

Despite Friday’s overtime setback, the Vipers have been rolling in the last month, as they have posted a 6-1-1-0 record since they last played Penticton on October 27^th. Their only regulation loss in the last month was back on November 11^th in Salmon Arm (4-0).

20-year-old goaltender Ethan David is a big reason why the Vipers have been on a roll. The Vancouver product is 5-1 in his last six games, with a 1.67 GAA and .949 SV%. He also has two shutouts over that stretch.

Tremblay, who scored twice last night, is on a tear in November for the Vipers. He has six goals in seven games this month and has scored three in his last two. Tremblay has 12 goals and 20 points in 20 games this season.

It’s Parents Weekend for the Vipers, so the Vees can expect a motivated group tonight, looking to rebound after Friday’s overtime loss.