The Penticton Vees are firing on all cylinders heading into the semifinals of the Okanagan Cup.
Penticton swept Vernon in a home and home series, beating the Vipers 4-0 Friday thanks to a 25-save performance from Kaeden Lane, and overtaking the Vipers 6-3 Saturday at South Okanagan Events Centre thanks to a hat trick from Quinn Hutson.
The Vees finished the 12-game Okanagan Cup series with 11 wins.
“And against some really good teams too, right?” stated head coach Fred Harbinson minutes after Saturday’s victory. “It’s just about building our game. As for our record, I wouldn’t have said we’d be 11-1.
"We play Salmon Arm in the semifinal next weekend, and we lost to them the last time we played them, so it gives us a great opportunity.”
Penticton’s only defeat came at the hands of the Silverbacks, the team the Vees will face in a Nov. 13 semifinal game.
The West Kelowna Warriors and Vernon Vipers will meet in the other semi.
Penticton swept both West Kelowna and Vernon, and took three of four games from Salmon Arm.
“I just think we did a good job of spreading things around. There were different guys on different nights stepping up and making plays, and different goalies winning each night,” said Harbinson. “Sometimes it’s our power play, sometimes it’s our penalty kill. Just a little bit of everything.
“I think our depth has shone in critical moments.”
Tyler Ho scored a pair in Friday’s Vees victory, with Matteo Costantini adding his fifth of the Okanagan Cup.
Hutson’s hat trick in Saturday's victory gave the Chicago product nine goals in 12 preseason games. His third goal was highlight-reel calibre, and came after he mesmerized the Vipers defense with some shifty moves to break in alone and deposit the puck into the net.
Hutson also added an assist for a four point night, and finished the Okanagan Cup series with 15 points, one behind teammate Costantini, who did not suit up Saturday.
"Quinn came out of the gate scoring every game in the first five then went kind of quiet for a couple games and then he was playing well and it just wasn’t going for him,” said Harbinson of his leading goal-scorer through the preseason series. “Friday night was one of those games, I think he had three or four good chances that didn't go in for him. We talked to him today (prior to faceoff) and just said, ‘Hey, don’t get frustrated. You’re getting the chances’.
“When he scored the first one, he’s one of those guys where you can just tell - if he gets one, he’s probably going to get two, and today he gets three.”
Devlin O’Brien scored twice, Jacob Quillan had a goal and two assists, and Owen Murray added three assists.
The Vees finished the 12-game series scoring 57 goals and allowing just 19 for a plus-minus goal differential of 38. By contrast, West Kelowna was minus three, Vernon minus 14, and Salmon Arm minus 21.
But Harbinson says none of that matters as the Vees prepare to face the Silverback Friday at 6 pm at SOEC.
“They’re a team that limits your opportunities," he insisted. "There’s not a lot of free ice out there. Salmon Arm does a great job in the neutral zone. They block a lot of shots, so we have to find ways to get pucks through.”
Also over the weekend, the Warriors swept a pair of games from the Silverbacks by scores of 3-2 and 3-1.
West Kelowna will host Vernon in Friday’s other semifinal, with the winners meeting Saturday, Nov. 14.
All games are available on pay-per-view at BCHLTV.ca.
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