The BCHL regular season champions kept up their winning ways at the expense of Okotoks as the puck dropped on the BCHL postseason.
The Penticton Vees had 10 players register a point to skate away with a 4-0 victory over the Okotoks Oilers in Game 1 the BCHL Interior Conference opening round playoff series Thursday night in the Okanagan.
Ryden Evers, Penticton’s leading scorer this year and a BCHL champion last season with the Surrey Eagles, got the Vees on the board in the final minute of the first period with a powerplay marker.
Ben Merrill added an even strength in the middle stanza with Max Heise and Simon Meier adding early third period tallies for the hosts.
Will Ingemann made 18 saves for his second shutout in a row versus Okotoks, earlier blanking the team during its March 22 regular season contest at the Viking Rentals Centre.
At the other end of the ice Olivier Ciarlo, seeing his first action since March 14 in between the pipes, made 34 saves on 38 shots.
Ciarlo, who committed to the University of Guelph Gryphons last week, was Okotoks’ MVP during the regular season with 19 wins in 40 starts.
Okotoks will look to even the series on Sunday when the puck drops on Game 2 at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The series shifts back to southern Alberta on April 8-9 for Game 3 and 4.
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Series schedule
Game 1: Okotoks at Penticton, April 3. Vees win 4-0.
Game 2: Okotoks at Penticton, April 6.
Game 3: Penticton at Okotoks, April 8
Game 4: Penticon at Okotoks, April 9
*Game 5: Okotoks at Penticton, April 12
*Game 6: Penticton at Okotoks, April 13
*Game 7: Okotoks at Penticton, April 15
*If necessary
