It was closer than the last time the Prince George Spruce Kings faced the Penticton Vees, but it wasn't enough.
The Kings fell 5-2 at The Coliseum in front of 682 vocal fans Friday to the visiting Vees in the first of two games between the British Columbia Hockey League Interior Conference rivals this weekend.
It was the fourth loss in a row for the Kings (1-3-1), while the Vees (5-1) kept pace with the division-leading Vernon Vipers. When the Kings and Vees met for the first time this season last week in Penticton, the home team routed Prince George 9-2.
The Vees led 3-0 early in the third period when Travis St. Denis potted his second goal of the night, while his team was shorthanded.
A plucky Spruce Kings squad didn't give up and Myles Fitzgerald broke the shutout bid of Vees goaltender Michael Garteig at 7:05 with his first goal of the season, set up by brothers Leo and Gerry.
Paul De Jersey made it a one-goal game at 3-2 with his eighth goal of the season 92 seconds later.
The teams put on a end-to-end show for the fans for the next several minutes, but the Spruce Kings couldn't get the equalizer past Garteig.
After the Kings failed to capitalize on a scoring chance the Vees went up 4-2 on Mario Lucia's fourth goal of the season and third point of the night, sliding the puck through Kings' goaltender Kirk Thompson's legs.
Ryan Reilly capped off the scoring when he scored into the empty net.
Penticton outshot Prince George 27-25.
The Vees top line of Lucia, St. Denis and Connor Reilly contributed eight points in the win.
The game was scoreless after 20 minutes, after the Kings out shot the Vees 10-6 but couldn't beat Prince George product Garteig.
Prince George only had five defencemen for the final two periods after Trevor Esau took a checking from behind minor penalty - with an automatic game misconduct - late in the first period.
The two teams meet again tonight at The Coliseum at 7 p.m.
