Photo credit: Garrett James Photography
Penticton Vees – 3
Nanaimo Clippers – 2 (OT)
Stefano Bottini played hero tonight with a goal 2:55 into overtime, propelling the Penticton Vees to a 3-2 win over the Nanaimo Clippers in Game 3 and giving them a commanding 3-0 series lead in the Fred Page Cup Finals.
Despite Penticton pouring 21 shots on goal in the first period, Nanaimo came out unscathed and threatened with a few chances of their own, but it remained a 0-0 deadlock at intermission.
The second period was where the fun started. Jérémie Payant swatted a puck home in the slot after a mad scramble in the Vees crease to give the Clippers a 1-0 lead early in the middle frame, their first lead of the series. However, the lead was short-lived as Frank Djurasevic netted his first of the postseason off a screen shot from the half wall to tie the game at one. Before the end of the period, Josh Nadeau circled around the net and into the slot and wristed a puck by Nanaimo goalie Cooper Black for a power-play marker and Penticton had the advantage heading to the third.
In the final frame, it was Keighan Gerrie scoring his seventh of the playoffs off of a beautiful passing play with Charles Tardif on a 2-on-0 to force overtime.
The winner in extra time came after Luc Wilson broke down the right side and dropped a pass through his legs onto the stick of Bottini. The Swiss international fanned on his first attempt, but made no mistake on the follow-up, snapping the puck into the top corner to end the game.
Penticton goalie Kaeden Lane made 19 saves on 21 shots to earn the victory, while Black stopped 36 of 39 in the Nanaimo crease.
This was the Vees first overtime game in the playoffs and the second for the Clippers.
Penticton’s win was their 15th straight in the postseason and puts them one win shy of claiming their first Fred Page Cup championship since 2017. They will have a chance to do just that tomorrow night in Game 4 back in Nanaimo.
