Friday was a history-making night for the Cranbrook Bucks, who finally cracked the code on the Penticton Vees – earning a 5-2 win versus the BCHL’s top ranked team.
The Bucks got on the board first. Bauer Morrissey snuck a backhand shot from the slot past Penticton’s Kaeden Lane at 3:54. However, the Vees wasted little time tying the game. Ryan Hopkins used a screen in front of Bucks goalie Nathan Airey to fire a wrist shot from the point into the top left corner, putting the game at a 1-1 tie. Both goalies were sharp the rest of the way through the opening frame, and the game remained deadlocked at 1-1 heading into second period action.
Penticton kept the pressure alive in the second period, outshooting Cranbrook 13-8. Bucks forward Luke Pfoh was the only player on either side to find the goal in the middle frame, taking a lucky bounce near the Penticton goal to tally on a yawning cage at 11:01. The Bucks held a 2-1 lead when the buzzer sounded to end the second period.
Cranbrook’s Noah Quinn came up big in the third period as the Bucks looked to hold off the Vees for their first win against Penticton this season. The Vees tied the game just over one-minute into the third period, Luc Wilson fired a shot from the slot which hit linemate Spencer Smith’s elbow and beat Airey. The score remained 2-2 through the first half of the period, then Noah Quinn took over. The Nelson native tallied on the power play just over the halfway mark of the final frame to put the Bucks into a 3-2 lead. Quinn added another goal at 12:50 to extend Cranbrook’s lead to 4-2, putting the game out of reach. The Bucks added one more goal in the dying seconds when Jarrod Smith hit an empty net with just 19 seconds left in the game. The Bucks ended up taking a 5-2 win, earning their first victory of their season series with the Vees.
With Friday’s win, Cranbrook’s record improves to 28-19-2-3. The Bucks clicked on one of their two power play chances, they were able to kill off Penticton’s lone power play attempt.
These two clubs face each other again on Saturday to close their double header.
Buck Tracks:
- Bucks goalie Nathan Airey stops 32 shots to secure the 20th win of his BCHL career.
- Four assists for Tyson Dyck, up to 72 points this season.
- First ever regulation win vs Penticton in Cranbrook Bucks history.
