Vees dominance of Warriors continues

Make it 14 in a row, and counting.

Photo: Wayne Moore - City of Kelowna

Michael Rebry celebrates his game winner as the Vees edged West Kelowna 4-3 Tuesday

The Penticton Vees made it 14-straight regular season victories over the West Kelowna Warriors, edging the hosts 4-3 in overtime Tuesday.

The game had a rare 11 a.m. start time as the Warriors hosted about 1,300 elementary school children from around the westside.

Michael Rebry scored the game winning goal 2:06 into the extra period when he circled the net and tapped in a loose puck at the edge of the Warriors' crease.

The Warriors got off to the start they wanted, jumping out to a 2-0 lead.

Marcus Basara banged home a rebound midway through the opening period, then Ambrose Firkus notched his third when his weak wrist shot from about 15 feet out eluded a sliding Nic Renyard and trickled agonizingly over the goal line.

Firkus' goal came just 23 seconds into the middle period.

The Warriors had chances to increase the lead soon after, but penalty trouble gave the momentum back to the Vees.

Warriors coach Rylan Ferster agreed.

"Power plays do that. Even if you don't score, they create or can change momentum in a game and I think that's what happened in the second period," he said.

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Seb Lloyd and Troy Stetcher chucked some knuckles during the first period of Tuesday's tilt

Wade Murphy finally got the Vees on the board seven minutes into the period with the Warriors two men short.

If not for the heroics of Warriors netminder Tyler Briggs, the game could have been over in the second period when the Vees fired 19 pucks in his direction.

Troy Stetcher and James De Haas scored three minutes apart early in the third period, both beating Briggs short side to take a 3-2 lead.

Shawn Hochhausen tapped home a loose puck from the edge of the crease on a Warriors powerplay with two minutes left in regulation time to force overtime.

Hochhausen also had a pair of assists to go with his goal.

Despite the single point, Ferster was not pleased with the overall effort Tuesday.

"I don't think I was. I don't think we played the way we should have for a game like this in our building."

"I don't think our compete level was where it had to be at for 60 minutes to play a team like that."

The Warriors did play Tuesday without their "heart and soul" duo of Brett McKinnon and Max French. Both are out with injuries and neither will dress Friday for the back half of the home-and-home set in Penticton.

The Vees outshot West Kelowna 49-31 over the course of the game.

The loss snapped the Warriors' four-game winning streak; although, it was good enough to move them into a second place tie with Merritt, both five points in back of Interior Division leading Penticton.