Scheel steals show for Vees

The Penticton Vees and Adam Scheel haven't allowed a goal in more than two full games, after a 3-0 shutout win at home against the West Kelowna Warriors on Wednesday night.

You'd have to go back to late in the third period on Nov. 24 against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks when they last surrended a goal, in a game the Vees would eventually win 3-2 in overtime.

That was the sixth of a current eight-game win streak the team in riding.

On Wednesday night, special teams was the difference — as the Vees scored twice on the powerplay and added an empty-netter late — but in the third period, Scheel stole the show.

The Vees rookie netminder made a handful of highlight-reel stops among his 13 in the final frame. He finished with 33 saves and was the game's first star.

For a fourth-straight game, Penticton scored on the man-advantage and was perfect when shorthanded. The home team was 2-4 on the powerplay against the Warriors and 4-4 on the penalty kill.

Ryan Sandelin tipped in a point shot from Jonny Tychonick on a powerplay in the second period to open the scoring.

Massimo Rizzo would add an insurance marker in the game's final 10 minutes, also with the extra man.

With the Warriors net empty, Dakota Boutin made a nifty steal of the puck before scoring to ice things with two-and-a-half minutes left in the third.

After being thrashed 11-3 at home when the two teams last met on Nov. 17, the Warriors didn't go down without a fight on Wednesday in Penticton.

The visitors had a good pace right from the start of the game, and the Vees and Warriors would matchup squarely all game long at five-on-five.

But a lack of offensive finish and an inability when shorthanded would be the Warriors kryptonite on Wednesday. West Kelowna now sits 16-12-1-0 through 29 games, their halfway-mark of the B.C. Hockey League season.

The Warriors will see a pair of Interior division opponents this weekend — visiting the Merritt Centennials on Friday before hosting the Wenatchee Wild on Saturday at the Royal Lepage Place.

Penticton, meanwhile, improves to 18-5-1-2 through 26 games, continuing to roll with eight wins in a row.

As they prepare for an early-morning wake up on Thursday to head to Vancouver Island for a pair of games, Vees assistant coach Matt Fraser said his team won't be dwelling on their recent run of success.

"We're taking it night-by-night right now. As far as we're concerned, we just pocketed two points and we're looking at getting four more on the Island," Fraser said on the Vees post-game show on EZ Rock 800. 

Penticton visits the Nanaimo Clippers on Friday and the Alberni Valley Bulldogs on Saturday.