Some of the youngest players on the ice took centre stage for the Penticton Vees in Game 3, helping them to a 5-2 home win over the Chilliwack Chiefs that puts the Vees up 2-1 in the Fred Page Cup BCHL Finals.
Vees affiliates Cassidy Bowes and Massimo Rizzo teamed up to open the scoring in the first, the latter potting his first BCHL goal to make it 1-0 Vees after one.
In the middle frame, it was Chiefs veteran captain and playoffs leading scorer Jordan Kawaguchi that rallied his side, first tying the game on the power play and then putting them ahead with a shorthanded marker just past the midway point of the period. The Vees had an answer though with BCHL all-rookie team member Grant Cruikshank equalizing with a little over a minute remaining in the second.
The third period was all Penticton as they got the winner from Gabe Bast and insurance from Jared Nash 2:36 later. Chris Klack added an empty-net goal for the Vees to round out the scoring.
Mat Robson need to make 17 saves for the win while Mark Sinclair stopped 27 for the Chiefs. Bowes was the game’s 1st Star while Rizzo was named 3rd Star. Game 4 goes Wednesday in a 7 p.m. faceoff from Penticton.
