Photo: Cherie Morgan
PENTICTON, B.C. – The Brooks Bandits won the battle of the two top teams in the Interior Conference on Saturday, as they skated to a 6-2 win over the Penticton Vees at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Brooks is now six points ahead of the Vees for top spot in the Interior after tonight’s win.
Penticton iced a shorthanded lineup that was missing three 20-year-olds, including captain Conyr Hellyer. Hellyer missed his first game of the season after he sustained an injury Friday against Blackfalds. The Vees were also missing 20-year-old defenceman Matthew Biotti and Michael Fisher.
Max Heise and Eli McKamey scored in the loss for the Vees. Heise scored his team-best ninth goal in the second period and McKamey scored on the power play in the final minute of regulation.
Will Ingemann suffered the loss in net after he surrendered six goals on 25 shots.
Special teams were a factor in the loss, as the Bandits scored twice on the power play and also scored shorthanded. The Vees managed one power play goal on seven chances.
Parker Lalonde and Ethan Beyer scored in the first period for the Bandits, who led 2-0 after 20 minutes. Lalonde opened the scoring at 8:11 on a breakaway. Beyer, who set up Lalonde on the opening goal, then scored on a Brooks’ power play at 10:44.
The Bandits added to their lead in the opening moments of the second period, as Nick Peluso scored on a shorthanded breakaway just 14 seconds into the frame to put the visitors ahead 3-0. Nathan Free extended the lead to 4-0 after he scored on a Brooks’ power play at 6:59.
Heise got the Vees on the scoresheet and the brought the building alive after he scored to make it 4-1 at 14:08. Heise got his stick on Brock Reinhart’s blast from the slot, that deflected past Bandits’ goaltender Johnny Hicks.
The momentum didn’t last long, as Free scored his second of the period just 45 seconds after Heise’s goal to put Brooks up 5-1 after two periods.
Free completed the natural hat-trick late in the third, as he scored with under four minutes left to push the Bandits’ lead to 6-1.
McKamey grabbed his fourth goal of the season with just 50 seconds left in regulation, as his short-side snipe made it 6-2.
GAME NOTES
Saturday was the Vees’ first loss at the SOEC this season, as they had won their previous four home games. Max Heise has now scored three goals in his last four games. With an assist Saturday, Luke Posthumus extended his point streak to four games.
GAME STATS
Shots: Vees- 24 Bandits-25
Scoring: Max Heise (9), Eli McKamey (4)
Goaltending: Will Ingemann (L) 19/25, 60:00
Vees Power-Play: 1/7
Vees Penalty-Kill: 3/5
Three Stars:
Attendance: 3,263
Up Next: The Vees (11-4-0-0) hit the road Tuesday, November 5th, as they visit the West Kelowna Warriors (4-8-2-1) at Royal LePage Place, for their first meeting of the season; puck drop is 7:00 pm.
