Penticton, BC – It was a Sunday afternoon special in Penticton as the 2022/23 BCHL Regular Season came to a conclusion with a battle from the South Okanagan Events Centre. The Salmon Arm Silverbacks (27-20-4-3) and Penticton Vees (50-3-0-1) squared off for the fifth and final time on the season. The Silverbacks came into the game on a three game slide, most recently a 4-3 shootout loss to the Warriors last night. While the Vees were looking to extend their win streak to 15 games and get their fiftieth win of the season. The game would decide the outcome of the Silverbacks first round playoff opponent.
Matthew Tovell (23-17-3-0, 2.63 GAA, .919 S%, 4 SO) got the start for the Silverbacks, while Luca Di Pasquo (35-3-0-0, 1.69 GAA, .922 S%, 4SO) got the nod for the Vees.
The Vees were looking to become the eighth team in BCHL History to record 50 wins in a season and they brought the energy in the early goings as Josh Nadeau (44) scored on a brilliant individual effort as he carried the puck over the Silverbacks blue line before roofing one over the shoulder of Tovell just 32 seconds in. The Vees went to the powerplay quickly after their opening goal as Mathieu Bourgault sat for two minutes. The ‘Backs were able to kill off the penalty as the league’s best powerplay was halted by a persistent Silverbacks group. Midway through the period it was the Vees turn to head to the penalty kill as Hiroki Gojsic went to the box for a tripping call. On the ensuing powerplay, it was Hayden Stavroff (14) making his case for the goal of the season as he made his way through the Vees penalty kill with ease before elevating it over the glove hand of Di Pasquo to even things up. The Vees had another opportunity on the man-advantage late in the period as Reid Varkonyi went to the box for a slashing call, but it was once again the Silverbacks penalty kill coming out on top. Shots in the first were 17-8 in favour of Penticton.
The middle frame saw a flurry of penalties as the parade to the penalty box was the story of the second period of play. The two teams combined for eight minor penalties in the period, and twelve in the opening forty. Penticton was able to take advantage of their third powerplay attempt in the early stages of the period as Brett Moravec (28) was able to bang home a rebound just under two minutes in to restore their one goal lead. The Vees were able to strike again just over ten minutes later as Nic DeGraves (9) was able to chip one over the pad of Tovell to give Penticton a two goal cushion. Shots in the middle frame were 15-8 in favour of Penticton.
Period number three was a different look to which we saw in the opening two periods of play as there was long periods of even strength time. The period also provided large periods of time with sustained offensive zone time for the Silverbacks. The period did not see any goals throughout the first seventeen and a half minutes until the Silverbacks pulled the goalie for an extra attacker. The Vees were able to add one more as Brett Moravec (29) put one into the yawning cage for his second goal of the game. Salmon Arm was able to get one back late when Maddux Martin (6) got one by Di Pasquo with just twenty seconds to go. The Vees ended up taking it by a 4-2 final score.
Next up for the Silverbacks will be a first round playoff matchup with the Spruce Kings. Our playoff schedule and ticket information will be released tomorrow.
Photo by CHRIS FOWLER – Recap Courtesy of TONY TROZZO
