The Smoke Eaters opened the 2020/21 season on Friday night in Penticton, but will have to wait till Sunday afternoon for their first win after falling 4-1 to the Vees.
The game started as you would have expected, a lot of energy, a bit of rustiness but a lot of excitement as the teams went back and forth. The Vees had the Smoke Eaters doing circles in the first minute but after that the Smoke Eaters pace proved difficult for the Vees to handle. The Smoke Eaters were physical and came at the vees with speed Jaden Senkoe provided the best scoring chance for the Smoke Eaters in the first period. However despite a strong period and controlling much of the play the Smoke Eaters found themselves trailling 1-0 thanks to a shorthanded goal from Jacob Quillan at 7:58 of the first period.
The start of the second period proved disastrous for the Smoke Eaters, who would give up two goals in the opening 37 seconds of the period as Stefano Bottini banged home a rebound, while Frank Djurasevic scored 20 seconds later on a shot from the slot to beat Terness. The Smoke Eaters would finish off the period strong however as Connor Michaud would get his first BCHL goal and the teams first goal of the 2020/21 season. Ryan Helliwell made it all happen with a great rush up the left side of the ice, deked past the Penticton defenceman and fed Michaud out front for the tap in.
The Vees added a fourth in the third period after a scramble in front saw the puck pinball off Terness and the defence in front before Tyler Ho was able to score his first of the year. The Smoke Eaters will look to Sunday now with a tilt against their Kootenay Rivals, the Cranbrook Bucks, for their next chance to get their first win of the year.
