Midget Vipers fall to Lions in first round
Down 4-0 early in the second period in the decisive Game 3 of the Midget Tier 1 playoff series in Kamloops, Vernon Home Building Centre Vipers’ head coach Jim Armstrong called a timeout.
Shortly after, Trevor Pickett finally solved North Kamloops Lions’ goalie Cameron Dagg, from Ryan Beach and Cody Hendrickson. Pickett then batted in another one, from Kyle Clark and Hendrickson, and quickly after, Logan Geefs, from Dennon Leibel and Curtis Sexsmith, made it a one-goal game.
The Lions called a timeout and the period finally ended 4-3 North Kamloops.
The Lions got one in the early going in the third but Richard Meaney, from Patrick Dove and Clark, got that one back five minutes later with the Vipers pressing hard for the equalizer for the rest of the game.
Vernon pulled goalie Max Brown in the late going only to surrender an empty-netter and lose 6-4 in their attempt to gain a berth in the provincials.
On Saturday, the Vipers extended the best-of-three series at Civic Arena by winning 5-4. Kamloops scored in the opening seconds, but the Vipers responded with a Hendrickson marker, from Braydon Sophonow and Pickett, while Justin Mitchell, on a backhander from in close, from Clark, gave the Vipers the lead before the end of the first frame.
Sophonow, from Hendrickson, made it 3-2 for Vernon after 40 minutes. Meaney, from Austin Krahn, and Hendrickson, from Pickett, on a great forecheck, gave the Vipers a 5-3 lead with 1:15 left.
However, on a powerplay and with their goalie on the bench, Kamloops scored with 33 seconds remaining to make for a very interesting final minute.
“We played one of our most complete games of the season Saturday night,” said Armstrong. “And the character and class and hard work we exhibited in that comeback Sunday is a testament to our team.”
Kamloops goes on to play provincials host Kelowna in the next round of the playoffs.
The Salmon Arm Midget Tier 1 Female SilverTips, with 10 Vernon players on their roster, opened the playoffs by stopping Kelowna 3-2 Saturday at Shaw Centre.
The Tips opened the scoring at 6:06 of the second period with a goal from Hailey Silcocks of Vernon, with assists going to Taylor Lund and Jenna Lazar of Vernon.
Salmon Arm made it 2-0 four minutes later when Lisa Campeau converted from Lund and Lazar. Lund clicked, from Lazar, at 16:52 of the third before Kelowna replied eight minutes later and pulled to within a goal with 3:10 to play.
Game 2 of the series with be played in Kelowna on Friday, March 2.
Hailey Haskell, Lazar and Ali Roine of the Tips will represent the Zone 2 Thompson Okanagan at the B.C. Winter Games in Vernon.
In Midget Tier 2 playoff action, Cinderella left the building when the Vernon Coca-Cola Vipers’ season came to end at the hands of the first-place 15-1-2 Penticton Panthers Saturday night at Priest Valley Arena.
The Panthers rolled over everybody this season, but they had their hands full with the newly confident Vipers in a series which saw Penticton win the opener 1-0 at home a week ago.
Game 2 started where the first left off, with the Panthers trying to pressure the Vipers with their speed and the Vipers responding in kind.
That pressure eventually caused the Vipers to give the Panthers the first goal, on a scramble in front of the net, in the first period. Matt Halvorson stepped up again for the Vipers and scored 40 seconds later on a feed from Tyson Clark to even the score.
The Vipers could sense how the Panthers were reeling again from their inability to break through the Vipers’ defence.
“Penticton was getting frustrated and we started to push them around a bit,” said Coke assistant coach Mike Burke. “They started to buckle, but we couldn’t capitalize on our opportunities and that kept them in the game.”
The Panthers scored late in the first period on a powerplay to take a 2-1 lead into the break. The second period was a complete stalemate with the Vipers and the Panthers exchanging opportunities, and Jayden Campbell matched the Panthers goalkeeper save for save.
With 1:22 left in the second period, the Panthers took a 3-1 lead on a mucked play in front of the net and they didn’t look back.
The Vipers rallied to try and extend their season and battled the Panthers for the first 10 minutes of the third, but the potent Penticton first line scored three more times to finish off the Vipers.
“I think that I can speak for the other coaches when I say that this has been the most memorable group of players we have ever coached, and we are so proud of what they have accomplished this year,” said Vipers’ head coach Rob Spraggs.
The Sun Valley Source For Sports Renegades lost 4-1 to host Kamloops in the third and deciding game of their Bantam Tier 1 semifinal series. Louis Springer went the distance in the Vernon net.
In Bantam Tier 3 exhibition play, the Vernon Machine Vipers bowed 8-4 to the host Winfield Bruins.
Donte Nowell (2), Josh DeCoffe and Brian Ferguson scored for the Vipers.
The Watkin Motors Mustangs bowed 8-0 and 5-0 to Kamloops Jardine’s Blazers in Pee Wee Tier 1 semifinal playoff action.
In Senior Atom Development play, the H&L Glass Wolfpack enjoyed a three-win weekend, starting with 11-4 sinking of the Sladen Moore Pee Wee Female Lakers team.
Ben King (6+2) and Lochlan O’Keefe (3+3) led the Pack, while Tanner Wright and Rowan Miller added singles. Emily Clarke (3) and Andie Kaneda answered for the Lakers.
On Saturday, the Pack got two goals apiece from King and O’Keefe in a 5-2 win over Winfield. The Pack displayed strong puck control and got a single from Gavin Medema. D-man Braeden McAmmond, Jaxxon Collard and Lucas Zubrod supplied key helpers.
Second-year stalwart Lee Christensen paced the Pack with 2+1 as they ambushed the first-place Kelowna Raiders 6-3 Sunday.
Tysen Fairweather, O’Keefe, Medema and Collard rounded out the scoring.
The Lakers got two goals from Kaneda in a 6-1 Saturday win over the Kamloops Atom Development Team #2 at Wesbild. Mairyn Tucker, Makenna Southam, Clarke and Carli Southam added singles.
Assists were provided by Makenna Hoffman, Ailish Curran, Tucker, Jordan Butler and Chelsea Marshall. Samantha Head played an exceptional game in net.
The Sladen Moore girls bowed 7-0 to the Kelowna Atom Development Team #2 Sunday in Rutland. Hard offensive play was provided by Tucker, Jenna Fletcher, Cassidy Marshall, Clarke and Kaneda.
The Valley Wood Venom finished their regular season Sunday by falling 8-4 to host Kamloops.
Caden Danbrook scored from Landen Harison, Brayden Beacom converted from Gavin Fleck and Anne Cherkowski, Jacob Green sniped from Harison, and Fleck scored on a feed from Danbrook.
Winfield iced the Venom 6-3 in exhibition play Saturday at Wesbild Centre, the Vernon goals coming from Beacom and Fleck.
Trevor Kennedy pulled the hat trick as the North Okanagan Knights stormed the Summerland Jets 12-5 in their final Atom Development league game.
Korden Haller (2), Bryan Brew, Alex Gilowski, Brandon Matvenko, Eli Dwyer, Mitchell Brown, Wes Graves and Mike Kormany completed the Knights’ attack in front of Caedon Bellmann and Easton Hunter.
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