2012 RBC Cup

Soo Thunderbirds (CEN) 2 - Penticton Vees (PAC) 1

KLEINHANS STEALS VICTORY AS THUNDERBIRDS TOP VEES IN RBC CUP OPENER

HUMBOLDT, Sask. – John Kleinhans stole the show with a 44-save performance as the Soo Thunderbirds opened the 2012 RBC Cup with an unlikely 2-1 victory over the Penticton Vees on Saturday afternoon.

Kleinhans’ second consecutive stand-on-his-head performance earned the Thunderbirds the win in their debut at the National Junior A Championship; the goaltender stopped 44 of 47 shots in the Soo’s 5-3 victory over Stouffville in the final of the Dudley Hewitt Cup, the Central Region championship, back on April 21.

James Delayer scored the game-winner with 8:34 to go on a Thunderbirds power play, stepping over the blue line and wiring a wrist shot that went off the far post and in past Penticton goaltender Michael Garteig, who made 13 saves in a losing cause.

Jake Wright had the other goal for the Soo (1-0), opening the scoring by banging a loose puck past Garteig during a scramble in front of the Penticton net midway through the first period.

Joey Benik scored the lone goal for Penticton (0-1), banking a shot off Kleinhans from behind the net late in the second period. The loss is just the 11th in 81 games for the Vees this season, including regular season, playoffs and the Doyle Cup.

Penticton is just the third Pacific Region champion in the last eight years to lose its opening game at the national championship. The other two – Burnaby in 2006 and Vernon in 2010 – finished the tournament by hoisting the RBC Cup.

The Thunderbirds return to the ice at Elgar Petersen Arena on Sunday afternoon when they take on the debuting Portage Terriers (3 p.m. MT), while the Vees look to rebound against the host Humboldt Broncos in Sunday’s night cap (7:30 p.m. MT).

Game Information/Renseignements sur le match
Game #/No. de match 1 Round/Ronde Preliminary
Arena/Aréna Elgar Petersen Arena
Location/Lieu Humboldt, Sask.
Date 05/05/2012 Time/Heure 03:00 PM MT
Attendance/Assistance 1486 Game Status/État du match
Final

 

Box Score/Compte 1 2 3 Total
CEN 1 0 1 2
PAC 0 1 0 1

 

Goals & Penalties/Buts et pénalités
First Period/Première période
Goals/Buts :
09:48 CEN 12 Jake Wright (91 Micky Sartoretto, 24 Dylan Connolly)

Penalties/Pénaltés :

02:20 PAC 24 Curtis Loik (Charging/Assaut)
05:33 CEN 5 Kris Barclay (Holding/Retenire)
11:18 CEN 41 Cody Zorzi (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
Second Period/Deuxième période
Goals/Buts :
18:04 PAC 9 Joey Benik (71 Bryce Gervais)

Penalties/Pénaltés :
01:42 CEN 22 Joey Couture (Interference/Obstruction)
06:01 CEN 88 Nick Romano (High Sticking/Bâton élevé)
13:15 PAC 22 Mario Lucia (High Sticking/Bâton élevé)
Third Period/Troisième période
Goals/Buts :
11:26 CEN 21 James Delayer  PP/AN

Penalties/Pénaltés :
08:01 PAC   (Too Many Men/Trop de joueurs)
11:16 PAC 12 Wade Murphy (Charging/Assaut)
16:00 PAC 6 Zach Urban (High Sticking/Bâton élevé)
19:57 PAC 12 Wade Murphy (Unsportsmanlike Cnd./Conduite antisportive)

 

Goaltenders/Gardiens de but
CEN John Kleinhans
PAC Michael Garteig (Off 3/18:30)

 

Shots on Goal/Tirs au but 1 2 3 Total
CEN 6 6 3 15
PAC 11 19 15 45

 

Players of the Game/Joueurs du match
CEN John Kleinhans
PAC Steven Fogarty

 

Officials/Officiels
Referee/Arbitre Jeff Ingram, Pierre Lambert
Lines People/Juges de lignes
Jason Roy, Ryan Lundquist
Scoreboard
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
7:30 PM MT
WST 1 - PAC 3
Preliminary
Thursday, May 10, 2012
3:00 PM MT
EST 4 - CEN 7
Preliminary
7:30 PM MT
WST 3 - HST 5
Preliminary
Saturday, May 12, 2012
2:00 PM MT
EST 4 - HST 3
Semifinal
6:00 PM MT
PAC 3 - CEN 0
Semifinal
Sunday, May 13, 2012
5:30 PM MT
EST 3 - PAC 4
Championship



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