Sports

The Prince George Spruce Kings rode a strong special-teams performance to a 4-2 BCHL win over the Penticton Vees Saturday.

The loss ends the Vees three game winning streak to start the season.

 

Three of the four Spruce Kings goals came from their special-teams, as they scored twice on the power-play and once short-handed.

Liam Board opened the scoring in the first period on the man-advantage when he banked a puck in from behind the goal-line at 14:02.

Chad Staley doubled the Spruce Kings lead late in the first, putting a wrist-shot through the arm of Vees starter Nic Renyard at 18:58.

The final four goals of the game all came in the third period, including Brad McClure’s second of the season that cut the deficit in half at 10:48.

McClure followed a Cody DePourcq shot to the net and put the rebound over the blocker of Kirk Thompson.

Prince George restored their two-goal lead with another power-play marker less than five minutes after McClure’s tally. Brad Ryan’s wrist-shot from the point snuck under the arm of Renyard at 14:11.

Just over a minute later, the Vees pulled back to within one, when Wade Murphy wired a wrist-shot over Thompson at 15:52.

The Vees were given an opportunity to tie the game late in the third when Coltyn Hansen was assessed a penalty for closing his hand on the puck with under two minutes left.

During the power-play, the Vees pulled their goalie but it all was for not when the Spruce Kings scored short-hand. Tyson Witala sent the puck the length of the ice into an open net 18:49 to seal the two points.

The loss drops Penticton to 3-1-0-0 as they prepare to head back out on the road next weekend, with stops in Salmon Arm and West Kelowna. 

--with files from Fraser Rodgers