Thomas Pichette scored 42 seconds into overtime as the Penticton Vees came back to stun the Vernon Vipers 2-1 on Friday, April 26, and book their spot in the Interior Conference Finals.
Pichette grabbed the loose puck behind Vernon鈥檚 net before firing a no-look shot and beating goaltender Ethan David, who made 38 saves and held the Vees off the scoresheet until late in the third period.
The series-clinching goal came after Larry Keenan tied the game with just 1:51 left in the third period.
Penticton won the series 4-1 and will now play the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in the conference finals.
鈥淲e stayed with it all night,鈥� said Matt Miller, the Vees鈥� director of hockey operations. 鈥淚 think that was the key鈥e got pucks on net, got traffic to the goal and we didn鈥檛 get frustrated. We stuck to the game plan.鈥�
Penticton outshot Vernon 40-15, as both teams remained off the scoresheet until the third period.
Erik Pastro scored three minutes into the third period to give Vernon a 1-0 lead.
The forward鈥檚 goal held up until Keenan notched his first-career BCHL playoff goal to force overtime. The Detroit Red Wings prospect found the loose puck in the crease during a net-front scramble and slid it underneath the goaltender鈥檚 pads.
鈥淲e did a good job of pushing their [defence] back and keeping them hemmed into their own zone,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淲e knew it was going to come and it did on the six-on-five.鈥�
Pichette, who serves as the team鈥檚 co-captain and one of two returning players from last season, scored his second of the playoffs in overtime. Callum Arnott, the Vees鈥� other co-captain, was credited with the assist.
Vees netminder Will Ingemann made 14 saves and recorded his fifth win of the playoffs.
Penticton has now won 11 postseason rounds in a row, dating back to 2022.
The Vees completed a sweep of the Prince George Spruce Kings in the first round of the 2024 playoffs, before downing Vernon in five games.
Friday marked the Vees鈥� second straight overtime game after the Vipers staved off elimination with a 3-2 win in the series鈥� fourth game on April 24.
Penticton will host Salmon Arm for the first game of the conference finals on Thursday, May 2.
