Game Preview: GM #16 Vees at West Kelowna Warriors

BROADCAST INFORMATION 

Game Time: 7:00 pm 

Location: Royal Lepage Place 

Radio: Bounce 800 AM  

Webcast: Flo Hockey 

Season Series 

November 5, Penticton at West Kelowna 

December 13, West Kelowna at Penticton 

December 14, Penticton at West Kelowna 

February 17, West Kelowna at Penticton 

February 22, Penticton at West Kelowna 

March 7, West Kelowna at Penticton 

President, General Manager & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson 

2024-25 Record: GP 15, 11-4-0-0, 22 pts (2nd, Interior Conference) 

Last Game: 6-2 loss vs Brooks, November 2

Home: 5-1-0-0 

Away: 6-3-0-0 

GF: 58 

GA: 44 

Power Play: 15 / 56 (26.8%, 4th in BCHL) 

Penalty Kill: 32/43 (76.5, 20th in BCHL) 

Scoring Leader: Ryden Evers (6-8-14) 

The Penticton Vees open a new week Tuesday with their first matchup of the regular season with Okanagan Lake rivals, the West Kelowna Warriors. The two teams met once in the pre-season at Royal LePage Place, with the Warriors picking up an overtime win on September 13.

Penticton enters Tuesday night’s contest coming off a loss to the Brooks Bandits, Saturday at the SOEC. The shorthanded Vees, missing three of their 20-year-old players, fell 6-2 in the much-anticipated match up. Max Heise scored his ninth of the season and Eli McKamey notched his fourth.

Special teams fell short for the Vees on Saturday, as they surrendered a shorthanded goal and the Bandits scored twice on the man advantage. The Vees’ power play went just 1-for-7.

Luke Posthumus has come on of late, as his point streak now sits at four games (2-2-4) with an assist Saturday. After a quiet opening weekend,  the Ottawa product has posted 12 points (6-6-12) in 12 games. 

Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Vees announced the signing of forward Louie Wehmann to the active roster. The 18-year-old from Minnesota, started this season in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms, where he posted two points in eight games. Wehmann is expected to make his Vees debut tonight. More on his signing here.

Will Ingemann will make his second consecutive start in goal on Tuesday. Ingemann is 7-3 this season, with a 3.12 goals-against average and .880 save percentage. Ingemann is looking to find his grove after a stellar rookie campaign a year ago, where he set a new BCHL consecutive shutout streak record. 

General Manager & Head Coach: Simon Ferguson 

2024-25: GP 15 4-8-2-1, 11 pts (10th, Interior Conference) 

Last Game: 6-1 loss Vs Vernon, November 2nd 

Home: 2-4-0-0 

Away: 2-4-2-1 

GF: 34 

GA: 61 

Power Play: 10/57 (17.5%, 16th in BCHL) 

Penalty Kill: 39/52 (75.00%, 18th in BCHL) 

Scoring Leader: Jackson Kyrkostas (0-15-15) 

The Warriors enter Tuesday night’s contest with the Vees looking for some traction. West Kelowna find themselves near the bottom of the Interior Conference, sitting 10th out of 11 teams. The Warriors are coming off back-to-back losses last weekend to Brooks and Vernon, where they were outscored 10-2. As of today, the Warriors are 11 points back of the Vees.

West Kelowna is led up front by 20-year-old Jackson Kyrkostas, who has compiled 15 assists in 15 games. Kyrkostas, a native of West Palm Beach, FL, has yet to score this season after scoring 23 goals in 54 games year ago. Kyrkostas is a key piece to the Warriors’ power play as he has assisted on seven of their 10 power play goals this season. Usual line mate Jack Pridham has eight points in nine games this season. The Chicago Blackhawks draft pick did miss six games earlier this season due to injury. 

Goaltending has been a bit of a conundrum for West Kelowna this season. The Warriors have used four different goaltenders and most recently added 18-year-old Jack Lisson to their roster. Lisson started the season with the Wellington Dukes in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. 20-year-old Dawson Labre has played in 11 of their 16 games and is 3-7, with a 3.35 goals-against average, and .884 save percentage.