North vs South on New Year’s Day!
The Vernon Vipers return from the Christmas break, are coming off a 5-3 win over the visiting Powell River Kings December 20th. The Vipers host the league leading Penticton Vees for a second time this season are 0-4 vs Penticton this year. Tonight is the first of back to back games vs the Vees in the final two meetings of the regular season. The Vees will be back in Vernon next weekend for the final meeting of the season.
The Vipers are 1-8-0-1 in their last ten games vs. Penticton. The Vipers sit 4th in the Division are seven points up on Merrit, just a single point up on Trail and nine points back of 3rd place West Kelowna. Vernon has lost three of their last five games are 3-7-0-0 in their last ten.
Colton McCarthy (17-8-25) leads the the team in goals with seventeen, while Odeen Tufto (16-25-41) leads the team lead in points with fourty one. Liam Finlay played in 13 games with the Vees from 2013-2014 before being traded to Vernon on October 28th 2014. Brendan Barry played last season in Penticton before being released after playing in just one game this season.
The defending Western Canada Cup Champion Penticton Vees make their second of three visits to Kal Tire Place also are returning from the Holiday break, are coming off a 3-2 win over the visiting West Kelowna Warriors December 19th. The Vees have lost three of their last five road games. The Vees won their last game in Vernon, wich was a 5-4 double overtime victory on December 15th. The Vees have won all four games vs the Vipers this season, have won five straight over the Vipers going back to last year.
Penticton is 7-3 in Vernon in their last ten games at Kal Tire Place. The Vees have had the Vipers number the past four year’s going 23-7-0-0. Penticton is ranked #3 in Canada sit atop the BCHL standings are seventeen points up on Salmon Arm. The Vees have won three of their last five games are 7-2-1-0 in their last ten. Scott Conway has eleven points in four games vs the Vipers this season. Anthony Brodeur is unbeaten in 19 games. Scott Conway (31-38-69) leads the Vees in goals with thirty one and in points with sixty nine.
GAME TIME IS 7PM at KAL Tire Place.
