PENTICTON, B.C. (September 4, 2015) – Despite a strong start and an early 3-0 lead, the Brooks Bandits fell 6-5 in overtime in Penticton, British Columbia to the defending BCHL champion Vees on Friday night.
The Bandits fell to 3-1-1 in pre-season play while outshooting the Vees 32-26 in the game, despite a 9-6 power play disadvantage.
Brooks opened the scoring at the 2:18 mark on a shorthanded goal by defenceman Shane Bear, with a spinning backhand goal set up on an odd-man rush with Cale Makar and Derek Lodermeier.
Just over five minutes later, a harmless-seeming shot from the halfboards by Taylor Karel bounced off of the blocker of Vees goalie Brendan Barry, up in the air, and down behind him in the net to make it 2-0.
With just under 8 minutes to go in the opening frame, Jesse Pereira fired a high shot in from the Penticton slot for a 3-0 lead, though the Vees got one back just over a minute later with a Jason Lavallee power play goal from close range.
After taking a spear in the first period that was not penalized, Brooks forward Nick Prukusic left the game, though he later returned to play the rest of the night.
In the second, the Vees eliminated the Brooks advantage. Dixon Bowen one-timed a puck from the slot past Bandits goalie Josh Davies just 1:36 in, while with just over five minutes left in the frame, Tyson Jost one-timed a loose puck at the right circle past a sprawling Davies on the power play to knot the game up at 3.
In the third, Taylor Ward scored on a breakaway goal at the 2:24 mark to give Penticton its first lead, though Jared Cockrell eliminated it on a wraparound goal at 4:24.
Jost then scored a highlight reel go-ahead goal, speeding into the Bandits zone, skating behind the net, then coming out to the opposite faceoff circle, turning and firing a high shot past Davies to make it 5-4.
Midway through the period, veteran Vees forward Demico Hannoun elbowed Bandits forward Austin Wright in the face after a whistle, sending him sprawling to the ice and causing him to leave the game gingerly. Hannoun was only called for a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the play.
Later, the Bandits responded again when Hayden Ursulak tipped the puck on a Cockrell shot, corralled the loose disc and backhanded it past Barry to make it 5-5.
In overtime, however, rookie Owen Sillinger ended the night, completing an odd-man rush with a shot over a downed Davies at the left side of the Bandits net to notch the 6-5 final score.
The Bandits went 1 for 6 on the power play while Penticton converted on three of its nine opportunities.
The two teams will do battle again tomorrow night at 6 PM Pacific, 7 PM Mountain at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Bandits fans can hear the game live on Q1057.ca and watch live with Bandit commentary on FastHockey.com, with the broadcast beginning fifteen minutes before puck drop.