UPDATE: SUNDAY, JAN. 1, 4:19 p.m.:
The Penticton Vees continued their dominance of the Vernon Vipers Sunday, Jan. 1.
The B. C. Hockey League kicked off its 2023 schedule with an afternoon contest between the Okanagan rivals, with the Vees leaving Kal Tire Place with a 6-3 victory over the Snakes.
Penticton has won all three meetings between the storied rivals this season, the last eight games between the two clubs and are 17-2-2 against Vernon dating back five years.
The Vees snapped a 1-1 tie in Sunday’s game with four answered goals from Josh Nadeau, Nic DeGraves, Hiroki Gojsic and Joshua Niedermayer over a 23 minute 55 second span from the start of the second period.
Austin Cameron, with his first for Penticton, and Aydar Suniev, on a first-period powerplay, had the other Vees markers.
Hank Cleaves, Julian Facchinelli and Isaac Tremblay, with the man advantage, replied for the Vipers.
Penticton goalie Luca DiPasquo made 21 saves for the win while Roan Clarke stopped 30 shots for Vernon.
The Vees improve to 29-2-0-0, atop the Interior Conference and overall standings. Vernon remains in sixth place in the Interior at 14-13-0-4, one point ahead of the seventh-place Trail Smoke Eaters, but just four points back of the third-place West Kelowna Warriors.
Penticton heads north to Prince George for a weekend doubleheader with the Spruce Kings Friday and Saturday, Jan. 6 and 7.
The Vipers visit the Salmon Arm Silverbacks Friday, Jan. 6.
ORIGINAL STORY
The B.C. Hockey League’s 2023 schedule kicks off Sunday, Jan. 1, with one of its oldest rivalries.
The Penticton Vees visit the Vernon Vipers for a matinee contest. Face-off is at 2 p.m. at Kal Tire Place.
The rivalry has been tipped recently in the south’s favour.
The Vees have dominated Vernon, winning the last seven regular-season matchups dating back to 2021-22, and own a 16-2-2 mark in the past 20 meetings.
The reigning Fred Page Cup champion Vees have won the first two meetings this season, 6-2 on Remembrance Day in Penticton, and a 8-2 thumping of the Snakes in Vernon on Oct. 15.
Penticton leads the league with a 28-2-0-0 mark. They are seven points ahead of the Coastal Conference-leading Nanaimo Clippers in the race for first place overall, and Penticton enjoys a 13-point bulge over the Cranbrook Bucks in the Interior Conference.
Vernon currently sits sixth in the Interior at 14-12-0-4, but the Vipers are only four points behind the third-place West Kelowna Warriors.
Both teams finished off 2022 Friday, Dec. 30, with victories. Vernon shutout the Merritt Centennials 4-0, while the Vees dumped the Warriors 9-2.
READ MORE: Vernon Vipers blank Merritt
READ MORE: Newsmakers of the Year: ‘Historic’ Penticton Vees on top of B.C. Hockey League world
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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