Photo credit: Garrett James Photography
Penticton Vees – 3
Nanaimo Clippers – 1
Defenceman Owen Simpson broke a 1-1 deadlock with his first of the postseason 7:47 into the third period and that stood up as the winning goal, as the Penticton Vees earned a 3-1 victory over the Nanaimo Clippers in Game 2 of the Fred Page Cup Final to take a 2-0 series lead.
Beanie Richter got the Vees on the board with a rebound goal, his third of the playoffs, midway through the opening frame to give his team the lead at the break, but Kai Daniells responded for the Clippers in the second, bouncing a puck from behind the net off of Penticton goalie Kaeden Lane and in, knotting things up at one heading to the third. In the final stanza, Simpson’s point shot trickled past Nanaimo keeper Cooper Black and just over the line, then Jackson Nieuwendyk sealed the game with an empty-netter with 31 seconds remaining to make it a 3-1 final.
Richter assisted on the game-winner to finish with two points and first star of the game recognition. Lane stopped 18 of 19 shots to get the win, while Black swatted aside 29 of 31 in the loss.
Penticton has now won 14 straight postseason games and head to Nanaimo two games away from clinching the Fred Page Cup.
