The final weekend of Cranbrook Bucks home games for the 2024-25 regular season didn’t get off to as good a start as the team would have hoped after falling 5-2 to the Penticton Vees Friday night.
First period action was back and forth. Neither team dented the scoreless deadlock, with Cranbrook’s Jaden Cholette and Penticton’s Will Ingemann putting in solid bodies of work. The score remained 0-0 at intermission.
The Vees’ collective motor had sufficiently warmed up by the second period. Penticton converted at 2:29 with a sharp angle shot from Luke Posthumus to take a 1-0 lead. That was followed by goals coming just six seconds apart from Penticton’s Brock Reinhart and Simon Meier at 7:13 and 7:19 to quickly vault to a 3-0 lead. Cranbrook got one back with a late goal from Matthew Gilmore to head into the second intermission at a 3-1 deficit.
The Bucks pulled closer midway through the third period. A nifty passing play in the Penticton goal led to a Rasmus Svartstrom tally at 9:02, cutting Penticton’s lead to 3-2. However, any Cranbrook comeback hopes were quickly dashed with a breakaway goal from Tristan Petersen at 15:41 to put Penticton up 4-2. The Vees sealed a 5-2 win with a late empty net goal from Caton Ryan.
Friday’s loss drops Cranbrook’s record to 29-20-2, Penticton outshot the Bucks 26-21. Both clubs finished 0/1 with the power play.
The Bucks return to action Saturday night versus the Brooks Bandits for their final home game of the regular season.
Buck Tracks:
- Congrats to our graduating 20 year olds; Nick Capasso, Jacob Fletcher, Sam Ranallo, Sam Belanger, Shane Baker, Black Cotton and Bryce Sookro.
