Vees defeat Vipers

Photo: Contributed - BCHL

Scott Conway scored the game-tying and game-winning goals, in the Penticton Vees 4-3 come-from-behind overtime win against the Vernon Vipers, Wednesday at the SOEC.

Conway redirected a point-shot into the Vernon net with 96-seconds left in regulation to force OT, and then he won it just over three minutes into four-on-four, as the Vees kept their perfect home record intact.

The Vees were down 3-1 seven-minutes into the third period, but Chris Gerrie and Conway scored 10-minutes apart to get the Vees to the extra frame.

Nicholas Jones scored the Vees other regulation goal, and Anthony Brodeur stopped 27 of 30 shots for his 16th win.

Christian Cakebread scored twice for the Vipers and Griffin James added another, as Vernon couldn't hold onto three separate leads.

Andrew Shortridge was tagged with the loss, stopping 28 of 32 Vees shots.

 The Vipers got on the board first, four-minutes into the first period after James hammered a point shot through a crowd in front of Brodeur.

The failed clearing attempt came right to James who went upstairs at 4:17.

The Vees best chance in the first came short-handed and on a two-on-one rush.

However, Dante Fabbro couldn't get his cross-ice pass on the stick of Demico Hannoun at the side of the net.

Vernon added to their lead early in the second and on a power-play.

Odeen Tufto was stopped from the slot but Cakebread popped in the rebound over Brodeur at 5:49; the Vees down two early in the middle frame.

The Vees power-play had an answer right away, as they came back and scored 49-seconds after the Vipers tally. Jones tipped in Fabbro's slap-shot from the point at 6:38; his third made it 2-1.

Penticton had another power-play late in the second and they were a few inches away from tying it. Conway had his one-timer from the right-wing knocked down in the crease by a diving Shortridge. Penticton trailed going into the third period for just the fourth time this season. 

Cakebread gave the Vipers their second two-goal lead and again it was early, just seven-minutes into the third. After an odd carom off the boards, the Vipers grabbed the puck and had numbers down-low, and Cakebread tapped-in a backdoor pass at 6:41.

Cue the comeback. 
Gerrie got it started 74-seconds after the Vipers third goal, as he was the one to pounce on a loose puck in front of the Vernon net.

Shortridge made two great saves in tight at the post but the puck came back out front to Gerrie, who put it up and over a sprawled Shortridge at 7:55; his ninth cutting the deficit to one.

Then, with less than 90-seconds remaining in regulation, the Vees found a way to tie it with the goalie pulled. The puck came back to Griffin Mendel at the point and his wrist-shot was tipped in front by Conway at 18:24. The goal was originally credited to Mendel but upon review, Conway got his lumber on the shot; setting the stage for his OT heroics.

Late in four-on-four, Tyson Jost dropped the puck to Conway on the boards and he did the rest, moving to the middle and snapping a wrist-shot on the short-side, over the glove of Shortridge at 3:07; his 21st and third OT-winner.

• Final Score: 4-3 Vees (OT)
• Shots: 32-30 Vees
• Power-Plays: Vees 1-5 Vipers 1-3
• Conway extended his point streak to 24-games with his two goals and Jost extended his to 15-games with his two assists.
• The Vees are now 5-0 in overtime this year and 12-0-0 at the SOEC.
• Tonight marks the first loss for Vernon in nine games when carrying a lead into the third
  period.