Vees Triumph Over Warriors with a 4-2 Victory: Key Highlights and Game Analysis

The Penticton Vees are on a roll, winning their fourth straight game with a 4-2 victory over the West Kelowna Warriors on Saturday night. This win gives the Vees four points from their road trip and nine points out of ten over their last five games. They are now four points ahead of the Brooks team in the Interior Conference.

This match was the Vees’ second showdown with the Warriors in just six days, following a close 5-4 win on Family Day Monday.

Assistant Coach Matthew Vanden Berg acknowledged a tough first period. “We didn’t start strong, but West Kelowna made it challenging. They pressured us and clogged up the lanes. I was pleased with how we improved in the second period. We played with more energy and sustained pressure, which helped us get better as the game went on,” he said.

Penticton has now won four out of their five meetings against West Kelowna this season. The scoring started in the second period when Louie Wehmann netted a goal just 4:30 in, putting the Vees ahead 1-0. Luke Posthumus quickly doubled the lead with a power play goal at 7:19, marking his team-leading 23rd goal of the season.

The Vees held onto that 2-0 lead until early in the third period when Jackson Kyrokostas scored for the Warriors, making it 2-1. He managed to sneak the puck past goaltender Ethan Buenaventura during a partial breakaway.

West Kelowna then faced some penalty trouble, and the Vees capitalized. Ryden Evers scored another power play goal at 5:54, pushing the lead to 3-1. However, West Kelowna’s Elias Callgren answered back, cutting the lead to 3-2 with a shot that surprised Buenaventura.

In this game, Nolan Stevenson shone with three assists, bringing his total to seven points in his last three matches. Louie Wehmann has found his scoring touch after ending an eight-game slump, finding the net in consecutive games. Meanwhile, Caton Ryan is on fire, racking up six points in just two games (4 goals and 2 assists).

Game Statistics:

• Shots: Vees – 30, Warriors – 30
• Scoring: Wehmann (9), Posthumus (23), Evers (19), Ryan (11)
• Goaltending: Ethan Buenaventura (W), 28 saves on 30 shots
• Power Play: Vees 2/3
• Penalty Kill: Vees 2/2

Three Stars:

• 1) Nolan Stevenson (3 assists)
• 2) Jackson Kyrkostas (1 goal)
• 3) Caton Ryan (1 goal, 2 assists)

The Vees (34-7-4-0) are set to host the Spruce Grove Saints (16-21-5-0) at the SOEC on Friday, February 28th, at 7:00 PM. It’s sure to be an exciting matchup!