| The Vees Cassidy Bowes tries to pick up a rebound as the Grizzlies Zach Rose sweeps the puck away. (Mark Brett/Western News) |
Lukas Sillinger kicked off the scoring about six minutes in with his third goal of the season, slipping one past Grizzlies goalie Zach Rose on the shot blocker side, with an assist from Jared Nash and Jack Barnes.
Grant Cruikshank made the score 2-0 with his fourth goal of the season a few minutes later, before the Grizzlies answered back with a shot from Justin Michaelian on Vees goalie Adam Scheel’s glove side to finish the first period 2-1.
The Vees added to their lead halfway through the second, with Jackson Keane picking up a turnover from Rose behind the Victoria net, passing to Dakota Boutin who dropped the puck in a wide-open net for the Vees third goal of the game. The goal went unanswered, ending the second with a 3-1 lead for the Vees.
The third period saw the Vees extend their lead again with Chris Klack on a breakaway, slipping the puck in along Rose’s ice blocker side.
The Grizzlies stepped up their pressure after the goal, and managed to swarm Scheel, who blocked a shot by Michaelian and a rebound shot from the Grizzlies Lucas Clark, but was unable to stop the third shot as Clark picked up another rebound, bringing the score to 4-2 at 3:48 in the third.
The Vees kept the lead through the remainder of the third, but weren’t able to score again, but still took the 4-2 win.
The Vees have three games on tap this week, starting with the Langley Rivermen on Oct. 18, the first Wicked Wednesday of the season. They’re home again for a Friday rematch against the Merritt Centennials before hitting the road for a Saturday game in Wenatchee.
