Vees take semi-finals spot

Photo: RBC Cup

The Penticton Vees have clinched a spot in the RBC Cup semi-finals after defeating the Trenton Golden Hawks 4-0 Wednesday afternoon.

The win has the Vees tied for second place in the tournament of five teams, with two wins and one overtime loss and just one game left in the regular series.

Just four-and-a-half minutes into the game, Ty Amonte got the scoring rolling with a backhander into the Golden Hawks' net, making the only goal in the first 20 minutes of play.

In fact, it wasn't until nearly 15 minutes into the second when another goal would be scored, this time from team captain Nicholas Jones on an assist from Griffin Mendel.

That was followed five minutes later with a goal from Massimo Rizzo, who put the Vees on a three-point lead over the Golden Hawks during a power play.

The final goal was scored by Grant Cruikshank more than halfway into the third period, who bolstered the team's lead to 4-0 with an assist from Jones.

The while the Vees shut the Golden Hawks out, that doesn't mean Mat Robson was without a bit of work – the Vees' goalie stopped all 21 shots on net, while Penticton managed 32 shots on net in Golden Hawks territory.

With the Penticton Vees winning on Wednesday, they've taken a spot in the semi-finals, knocking the Golden Hawks out in the process.

The Vees have just one more game in the series to go before the semi-finals against the Cobras de Terrebonne, whom they'll play on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. EDT (12:30 p.m. PST).

The Cobras are currently sitting at one win and two losses versus Penticton's two wins and one overtime loss.

Tied with Penticton, the tournament hosts Cobourg Cougars also have a pair of wins and an overtime loss, while the Brooks Bandits, the top team in the CJHL's regular season, have three wins and no losses.

Those two teams will face off on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. EDT (4:30 p.m. PST), with both semi-finals games to be held on Saturday. The winners of those games will head to the finals on Sunday.