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Rivermen down ’Dogs

Langley earns three out of four points in pair of weekend home games at George Preston Recreation Centre
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Langley Rivermen defeceman Francis Boie battles with Penticton Vees forward Turner Ripplinger during BCHL action at the South Okanagan Events Centre last week (Oct. 12). The Vees scored twice in the third period to win 3-1 and then scored a 5-4 double overtime victory last Friday at the George Preston Recreation Centre.

Three out of four weekend points have the Langley Rivermen feeling good about their game.

The junior A hockey club rallied to earn a single point last Friday in a 5-4 double overtime loss to the BCHL-leading Penticton Vees before doubling up the Alberni Valley Bulldogs 6-3 the following night.

Both games were played at the George Preston Recreation Centre with the Rivermen improving to 4-7-2-1, good for third place in the Mainland Division.

“It was a tough finish to it (on Friday) but I thought we played a real strong game there,” said Rivermen head coach Bobby Henderson.

“And the next night, we played really well. I definitely thought we took a step as a group.”

Langley battled back to earn the point against the Vees, scoring twice in the final 4:04 to get the game to overtime before losing in three-on-three hockey.

Andrew Dumaresque had forced overtime with the tying goal, which came with 28 seconds to play. It was his second of the game. Eric Butte and McKay Flanagan had the other Langley goals.

The game was the back-half of a home-and-home with Penticton scoring twice in the third period to win 3-1 on Oct. 12.

Trevor Ayre had the lone goal while Bo Didur made 37 saves.

And against Alberni Valley, the Rivermen erased a 1-0 deficit with three second-period goals en route to the 6-3 win.

Nicholas Ponak paced the attack with two goals while Cameron Ginnetti, Ryan Barrow, Max Kaufman and Brendan Budy each netted a goal apiece.

Goaltender Braedon Fleming — a local Langley Minor Hockey product recently acquired by the team — stopped 24 of 27 shots in his Rivermen debut.

The Rivermen are on Vancouver Island for three games this weekend, begining tonight (Friday) in Victoria against the Grizzlies, tomorrow against the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Sunday versus the Powell River Kings.