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GAME SUMMARY

The Giants had good jump to start the game, controlling the play and getting good looks in the first few minutes. But Penticton settled in and pushed back after that, eventually opening the scoring with 4:21 left in the first when Jacob Kvasnicka found Birnie in front who got just enough on the shot for it to bounce past Ryan Tamelin.

The Vees were the better team in the second period, scoring a power play goal at the 5:09 mark from Evers, and then making it a 3-0 game thanks to a shorthanded goal from Valliant with only 3:45 left in the frame, which came just moments after Giants forward Tyus Sparks hit the crossbar.

Alstead deflected a point shot past Tamelin 6:37 into the third period to make it 4-0.

Lin’s goal gave the Giants a little bit of life, but it came with just 7:22 left in regulation.

Eventually the Vees added an empty-net goal to make it a 5-1 final score.

THEY SAID IT

“I think we’re all really disappointed right now. You want to get off to a good start, especially in front of your home crowd and it didn’t go our way tonight. But I thought our start – our first seven, eight minutes of the game – we carried the play and the momentum…we had some Grade A opportunities early and we weren’t to capitalize and it allowed them to hang around and find their game a little bit.” – Head Coach Parker Burgess

“When we got down 2-0 and we have that powerplay and we hit a cross-bar and we have some chances – and that can change the game. You score one there, it’s 2-1, the barn’s going and you know, maybe it’s a different outcome. But I thought – and we haven’t been able to dissect the film or anything – but when the adversity hit tonight, and things maybe weren’t going our way, and we were pressing a little bit to score, instead of coming together and maybe executing the game plan more consciously, I thought at times we relied on the individual side of things. I think they just divert to that…they’re trying, but it’s our job to help them understand when those tough times happen and that adversity hits, that’s when you have to double down on the standards and details.”

– Head Coach Parker Burgess

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