Penticton Vees – 6
Alberni Valley Bulldogs – 3
The Penticton Vees used a five-goal outburst in the second period to take a commanding lead in Game 3 and eventually win by a 6-3 final. Aydar Suniev had four points for Penticton on two goals and two assists, while Josh Nadeau had a pair of goals and a helper and was named first star of the game.
The Bulldogs used the energy of the home crowd in the first ever finals game at the Alberni Valley Multiplex and came out flying in the first period, but gave up a shorthanded goal against the run of play six minutes into the contest when Dovar Tinling got behind the defence to pot his seventh of the playoffs and give the Vees the lead. Alberni Valley kept coming though and finally got one by Penticton goalie Luca Di Pasquo when Matthew Maltais banked one in from a sharp angle in the final minute of the period to make it 1-1.
In the second, Josh Nadeau scored early with the man advantage, then the Vees scored three in just over four minutes with Nadeau getting his second, a Billy Norcross goal and Suniev’s first of the game to make it 5-1. As they have all series, the Bulldogs battled back, getting two goals in quick succession from Nicholas Beneteau and an incredible individual effort by Brady MacIsaac, but Suniev’s second of the period killed the comeback and capped off the scoring to make it a 6-3 final.
Penticton has a chance to win their second straight Fred Page Cup with a win Wednesday night in Game 4.
