The Penticton Vees fell to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks with a 5-2 loss on Wednesday night

Photo: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography

A strong effort from the Penticton Vees to score wasn’t enough to come back as they fell to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks by a 5-2 score on Wednesday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

The Vees were first to gain a point on the scoreboard, while on the game’s opening power play.

A passing play between the Nadeau’s and Luc Wilson took the puck to the left face-off circle, and before Bradly Nadeau took it down low to the blocker side of the net with a shot off the right pad of Silverbacks netminder Owen Say, scoring at the 4:52 into the first period.

The game was on even terms just a few minutes later, as Brandon Santa Juana used a quick stick to level the game at 1-1.

The Silverbacks gained a lead when Simon Tassy scored at the 8:59 mark of the second period with a power play goal, taking the rebound off a shot through the legs of the Vees netminder,

Salmon Arm pushed their lead to two goals with under a minute and a half remaining in the middle period, with Tassy taking his second goal of the period. Tassy gathered the puck from a centre ice face-off and snapped a shot from the slot past the glove side of Serhyenko to give Salmon Arm a 3-1 lead heading into the third period.

Mat Bourgault extended the Silverbacks' lead at the 7:15 mark of the final period, when it was slashed past the blocker side of Serhyenko to give the Silverbacks a 4-1 advantage.

Salmon Arm took their lead further when the Silverbacks forward Owen Beckner got to the puck and shot over the blocker shoulder of Serhyenko at the 14:50 mark of the third to make it a 5-1 lead for Salmon Arm.

The Vees lessened the Salmon arm’s lead late into the third period, when Josh Nadeau tucked a puck underneath of the glove of Say during the Vees' second power play, finishing off the game at 5-2 in favour of the Silverbacks.

Carter Serhyenko made 18 saves on 23 shots in his second loss of the season while Owen Say turned aside 30 of the 32 shots thrown his way for his 17 victory of the season.

The Vees will head for their first trip of the season south of the border to take on the Wenatchee Wild on Saturday night. Puck drop is slated for 6 p.m. at the Town Toyota Center.