Bandits one win away from advancing to finals after 6-3 victory over Penticton

The Brooks Bandits defeated Penticton 6-3 Tuesda jig (Photo: BrooksBandits.net)

The Brooks Bandits are one win away from advancing to the BCHL finals after a 6-3 win over the Penticton Vees Tuesday night in Brooks.

Nick Peluso scored twice and added a pair of assists to lead the Bandits in a one-goal game that wasn’t decided until Brooks scored twice in to an empty net.

Zach Zahara stopped 25 shots for Brooks to earn the win.

Luke Bibby and Cooper Pierson scored in the first period to propel the Bandits into the lead, and Parker Lalonde added his 11th of the post-season to push the margin to 3-0.

Halfway through the second, Peluso scored his seventh of the postseason to make the lead 4-0 Bandits before the Vees cut it to 4-1 on a late second period goal by Oscar Pantzare.

Luke Posthumus scored three minutes into the third to cut the lead to 4-2, and halfway through, Louie Wehmann scored to make it a one-goal game.

Peluso and Lalonde scored empty-net goals to make it 6-3.

Game 5 goes Friday night in Penticton. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT.

The winner of the Bandits and Vees series meets the winner of the Victoria-Chilliwack series. Chilliwack leads 2-1.