Ridge Dawson had a goal and two assists as the Trail Smoke Eaters beat the Vernon Vipers 4-2 in their own barn Friday night, Nov. 8.
Dawson scored his fourth goal of the season three and a half minutes into the first period to give the Smokies an early lead.
The teams went scoreless through the rest of the first and the entire second period. In the third, it was Lucas Lemieux scoring his seventh goal of the season on the power play to give the Smoke Eaters a 2-0 advantage.
The teams then traded goals in short order. Will Schumacher got the Vipers on the board with his fifth goal of the season at the 6:18 mark of the third. Just over a minute later, Drew Anastasio scored to regain Trail's two-goal lead. The Vipers then pulled to within one again, two and a half minutes later, courtesy of a goal from Lucas Brennan, making it a 3-2 hockey game.
That's as close as the Vipers would come as Attila Lippai scored on another Smokies power play with two minutes left to play to put the game out of reach.
The Vipers played an undisciplined game, giving up six power play opportunities to the Smoke Eaters, including a five-minute major for a blind-side hit by Lucas Brennan.
The Smoke Eaters (10-5-1-1) have now won both games played against the Vipers this season after a 5-3 win on opening night. They are tied in points with the Penticton Vees for second in the BC Hockey League's Interior West division, two points behind the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
The Vipers (5-9-3-0) sit last in the division with 13 points in 17 games.
The Vipers are set to play their first-ever game against the Sherwood Park Crusaders Saturday night, Nov. 9. The Crusaders are led by star 17-year-old rookie Jeremy Loranger, who leads the league in scoring with 28 points in just 16 games. Puck drops at 6 p.m. at Kal Tire Place.
Trail has a few days off and will play the Penticton Vees on the road Monday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.
