On a night the 1973 Penticton Broncos celebrated their 50th anniversary, the Penticton Vees won their 50th consecutive home game, beating the Victoria Grizzlies 6-3, at the SOEC on Saturday.
With over a dozen alumni from the 1973 Broncos in attendance, the Vees honoured the past champions in the only way they know how to — win.
The Vees’ 50-game home win streak started back on April 1, 2022. 595 days and counting.
Thomas Pichette scored a pair of goals, as he finished with four goals in the two games this weekend. Conyr Hellyer (1G, 2A) and Zack Stringer (0G, 3A) each had three points. Billy Renfrew, Callum Arnott, and Francesco Dell’Elce also scored.
Penticton’s power play was a huge part in the win, as they scored three times on six chances. At one point, the Vees scored three power play goals on their first four opportunities.
Will Ingemann picked up his 11th win, as he stopped 25 of 28 shots in the Vees’ crease.
The Vees got a pair of first period power play goals from Arnott and Pichette, as they led 2-0 after 20 minutes.
It was a back-and-forth in the first half of the second period, as the two teams traded goals. Victoria’s Luc Pelletier scored on a breakaway just 15 seconds into the second to make it 2-1. The Vees responded with a power play marker from Dell’Elce to go up 3-1 but Victoria retorted with a goal by Richard Baran to make it a one goal game again.
Penticton pulled away in the back half of the middle frame, as they scored three times in the final eight minutes to take a 6-2 lead into the intermission. Pichette scored his second of the night and seventh of the season, after Stringer’s centering pass hit his skate and went in. That goal made it 4-2.
Renfrew added to the lead with three minutes to go, as he finished off a pretty three-way passing play. Simon Meier from his knees fired a cross-ice pass to Dell’Elce, who then found Renfrew camped out at the far post for his fourth that put the Vees up 5-2. They squeezed one more goal in before the buzzer- literally.
Hellyer won a race to the puck in the Grizzlies’ zone and before the buzzer could sound, he fired a shot from the wing past the goalie’s blocker. His buzzer beater made it 6-2 going into the third.
The Grizzlies pulled one back in the third to make it 6-3, but that’s as close as they would get on this night.
NEXT UP: The Vees (15-1-2-1) return to action next Saturday, Nov. 25, when they visit the Vernon Vipers (14-5-0-0) at Kal Tire Place; puck drop is 6 p.m. It’s a showdown of the top two teams in the Interior Conference. Fans can listen to Bounce AM 800, or watch on Flo Hockey TV.
