Now past the quarter-point of the BCHL season and the Langley Rivermen are atop their division.
The junior A hockey club improved to 6-3-6-0 on the season after edging the Penticton Vees 2-1 on Wednesday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre. The loss was the first defeat for Penticton, which fell to 8-1-0-1.
With the win — which came on the heels of a 5-2 loss the night before in West Kelowna to the Warriors — Langley pulled one point ahead of the Prince George Spruce Kings.
Trevor St. Jean had opened the scoring for the Rivermen against Penticton in the first period and after a scoreless second, Ethan Leyh doubled the lead six minutes into the third. And that goal turned out to be the winner as Dakota Boutin struck on the power play to ruin Braedon Fleming’s shutout bid.
Fleming made 20 of his 36 saves in the third period alone.
The night before in West Kelowna saw the Rivermen trailing 3-2 in the third period before surrendering a pair of empty-net goals.
Jake Livingstone and Brendan Budy had the Langley goals and Fleming made 41 saves in the loss.
Chase Dubois scored twice while RJ Murphy, Jared Marino and Peter Tomaras had a goal apiece for the Warriors.
Langley is back in action on Saturday night in Chilliwack to face the Chiefs before hosting the Cowichan Valley Capitals in a Sunday matinee (2 p.m.) at the George Preston Recreation Centre.
sports@langleytimes.com