Author: Contributed by Riley Pollock

The Penticton Vees got out to a quick start on Saturday in Penticton but were unable to hold off the Kelowna Rockets, falling by a 5-4 score in their inaugural WHL home opener.

It was a record crowd on a historic night in Penticton with 5,307 fans filing into the South Okanagan Event Centre.

Photo credit: NowMedia

Photo credit: NowMedia

Penticton notched their first goal on home ice since joining the WHL quickly as Diego Johnson swatted home a cross-ice feed just 12 seconds into the game, sending the SOEC into a frenzy.

Ryden Evers batted a puck out of the air later in the frame to send the score to the first intermission, 2-0 Vees.

The Vees would add to their lead in the second, with Jacob Kvasnicka scoring his first WHL goal to make the score 3-0.

The Rockets would battle back with two before the period ended to send the score 3-2 to the third period.

Kelowna would strike twice more early in the third to gain their first lead of the night at 4-3.

The Vees didn’t go away quietly, however, as Brady Birnie made a gorgeous cross-crease pass to Johnson, who made no mistake for his second of the night to even the game 4-4.

The Rockets got a late power play on a tripping call and would find the back of the net with the man advantage.

That would be the game winner and make the final 5-4 Rockets.

The two teams are back at it on Saturday in Kelowna for a 6:05 pm start.

Photo Credit: Cherie Moore