Vees Battle Back for Fourth Straight Victory
Published on October 11, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Penticton Vees News Release
The Penticton Vees got their first WHL win over their Okanagan Rivals on Saturday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre defeating the Kelowna Rockets 5-3.
The Vees move to 5-2-1 with the victory and have points in five straight games and are now 1-1-1 against Kelowna this season.
It wasn't the start Vees fans have gotten used to on Saturday night as it was the Rockets striking first at 14:25 of the first period on the powerplay on a deflection from Owen Folstrom to make the score 1-0. The Rockets would extend the lead late in the frame with Dawson Gerwig chipping the puck over the glove of AJ Reyelts to make it 2-0 heading into the first intermission.
Penticton didn't take long to get back into the game in the second period. Matteo Danis tapped home a goal at the back post on a beautiful rush play that saw Brooks DeMars, Brady Birnie and Callum Stone all make great passes leading to the goal. Danis would find the net again on nearly an identical play at 9:48 again assisted by Stone to make the score 2-2.
Kelowna would answer back however with Tomas Poletin finding the back of the net for his fifth of the season and fourth against the Vees to give the Rockets a one goal lead entering the third period.
After a strong push from the Rockets to start the third period, the Vees countered and dominated the rest of the way. Brittan Alstead tied the game on another backdoor tap-in at 12:06 for his sixth of the year. Then, 1:25 later, Chase Valliant gave the Vees their first lead of the night with a spinning five-hole shot off a rebound.
Danis would finish off his hat-trick into an empty net to give Penticton a 5-3 victory and their fourth straight win.
Vees goaltender AJ Reyelts was outstanding in the third period stopping all 15 shots he faced to pick up his fourth win in five starts.
GAME STATS
Shots:
Vees- 34
Rockets- 30
Scoring:
Vees- Matteo Danis (3), Chase Valliant, Brittan Alstead
Rockets- Owen Folstrom, Dawson Gerwig, Tomas Poletin
Power Plays:
Vees- 0/3
Rockets- 1/2
Goaltending:
Vees- AJ Reyelts- 27/30
Rockets- Josh Banini - 29/33
Up Next: The Vees will stay home to host the Victoria Royals for the Turkey Tussle on Monday Oct. 13 at 2:00PM.
Western Hockey League Stories from October 11, 2025
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- Preview: Americans at Cougars - October 12, 2025 - Tri-City Americans
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- Portland Falls to Medicine Hat - Portland Winterhawks
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- Game Preview: Game 8 VS Winterhawks - Medicine Hat Tigers
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- Chiefs Head West to Take on Thunderbirds in First of Six Straight Road Games - Spokane Chiefs
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