BROADCAST INFORMATION
Location: South Okanagan Events Centre
Radio: Bounce 800 AM
Webcast: Flo Hockey
President, General Manager & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
2024-25 Record: GP 30, 23-6-1-0, 47 pts (1st, Interior Conference)
Last Game: 4-3 OT loss vs. Okotoks Oilers (Dec. 29)
Home: 10-1-1-0
Away: 13-5-0-0
GF: 117
GA: 78
Power Play: 24/95 (25.3%, 5th in BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 18/78 (76.9%, 13th in BCHL)
Scoring Leader: Ryden Evers (14-21-35)
The Penticton Vees kick off another home double header Friday with a visit from the high-powered Sherwood Park Crusaders. Penticton picked up three out of possible four points in back-to-back home games last weekend at the SOEC, beating Blackfalds 3-2 before falling in overtime 4-3 to the Okotoks Oilers Sunday.
The Vees enter the weekend atop the BCHL standings with 47 points, two points clear of the Brooks Bandits. Penticton faces two top five teams in the Interior in Sherwood Park and the Trail Smoke Eaters. The Crusaders sit fifth in the conference and the Smoke Eaters third. Trail is only four points back of the Vees for top spot.
Penticton kicks off their January schedule hoping to build on what’s been consistently strong play since the beginning of November. The overtime defeat to Okotoks last Sunday snapped an eight-game win streak and was just their second defeat of any kind since November 5th in West Kelowna. They are 12-1-1-0 in their last 14 games.
Penticton got a boost to their lineup last weekend with the return of 20-year-olds Michael Fisher and Conyr Hellyer. Fisher played his first two games since October 19th, and Hellyer returned after being hurt December 14th. Fisher will certainly help eat minutes on the blue line and give the power play a boost too. Vees will still be short up front, as Simon Meier just wrapped up his World Junior tournament with Switzerland yesterday. Meier may be a game time decision for tomorrow’s game against Trail.
Ethan Buenaventura starts Friday against Sherwood Park. He beat the Crusaders on December 6th, as he stopped 23 of 25 shots in the Vees 3-2 win at the SOEC. Buenaventura has not lost in regulation since joining the team in November. He’s 5-0-1-0 in six starts.
The Vees have been very good at home this season, winning nine of 11 games at the SOEC. They have lost just once in regulation in those 11 games at home.
Season Series:
September 21st, Penticton 6 at Sherwood Park 3
October 19th, Penticton 4 at Sherwood Park 6
December 6th, Sherwood Park 2 at Penticton 3
January 3rd, Sherwood Park at Penticton
Head Coach: Brennan Menard
2024-25 Record: GP 30, 19-11-0-0, 38 PTS (5th, Interior Conference)
Last Game: 5-4 OT Win at Spruce Grove, December 21st
Home: 11-4-0-0
Away: 8-7-0-0
GF: 141 (1st in BCHL)
GA: 104 (10th in BCHL)
Power Play: 38/109 (34.9%, 1st in BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 77/99 (77.8%, 9th in BCHL)
Scoring Leader: Jeremy Loranger (20-34-54, 1st in BCHL)
The Sherwood Park Crusaders kick-off the second half of their season with their stop in Penticton Friday night. They last played on December 21st, closing out their pre-holiday schedule with a 5-4 overtime win over the Spruce Grove Saints.
The last time the Crusaders visited the SOEC was on December 6th, losing 3-2 to the Penticton Vees in what was one of the most entertaining games so far this season. Since that visit, the Crusaders have won four of five and scored 33 goals in the process. Their only defeat came at the hands of the Brooks Bandits on December 13th at home.
Jeremy Loranger continues to pace the Cru on offense alongside linemate and fellow 18-year-old Kale Dach. The two sit first and third, respectively, in BCHL scoring and pace the league’s top power play that operates at nearly 35 percent. Sherwood Park’s offensive attack is generated both off the rush and with the man advantage, using their speed to find open space and create chances from dynamic young players up and down their line up. One of the youngest teams in the BCHL on paper, Sherwood Park continues to keep pace with the other top teams in the Interior.
James Venne continues to do the bulk of the netminding for the Crusaders and is the expected starter after a two-week layoff. The 20-year-old goaltender was the goaltender of record on December 6th at the SOEC, stopping 23 of 26 shots.
Season Series:
October 25th, Penticton 1 at Trail 4
November 11th, Trail 3 at Penticton 7
November 16th, Penticton 4 at Trail 1
January 4th, Trail at Penticton
February 8th, Penticton at Trail
February 14th, Trail at Penticton
General Manager & Head Coach: Tim Fragle
2024-25 Record: GP 31, 20-8-2-1
Last Game: 6-4 win at Cranbrook, December 31st
Home: 11-3-0-0
Away: 9-5-2-1
GF: 132
GA: 93
Power Play: 18/101 (17.8%, 17th in BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 84/102 (82.4%, 4th in BCHL)
Scoring Leader: Judah Makway (15-14-29)
The Trail Smoke Eaters look to build on their strong first half and continue to climb the BCHL’s Interior Conference standings Saturday when they roll into the SOEC to play the Penticton Vees. The Smokies have amassed an impressive 9-2 record since the last time they played Penticton on November 16th in Trail, a game Penticton won 4-1. The strong run of play has propelled them to 3rd place in the Interior Conference, trailing just Penticton and Brooks in the overall BCHL standings as play begins this weekend. The only visit Trail has made to the SOEC so far this season was a 7-3 setback in a November 11th Remembrance Day matinee.
The offense has been humming for Trail as of late, filling the net 40 times in their past six games. They’ve won five of those six and four in a row entering play Friday night when they take on the Spruce Grove Saints at Cominco Arena. Leading scorer and local 20-year-old product Judah Makway leads the Smokies in scoring and has paced the offense during a current 7-game point streak entering play Friday that’s seen him collect eight goals and 14 points. The uncommitted forward recorded points in every game for Trail during the month of December.
Teagan Kendrick continues to do the bulk of the goaltending for Trail. In his third season with the Smoke Eaters, Kendrick has found a recipe for success with a .920% save percentage through 23 appearances this season. He’s recorded wins in seven straight appearances since November 23rd, allowing only 13 goals in the process for a .944% save percentage during his personal win streak entering Friday night’s action.
Puck drop is slated for 7:00pm Friday against Sherwood Park and 6:00pm Saturday against Trail, both from the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton.
