After a 7-1 rout of Coquitlam on Wednesday, the Vernon Vipers fell back to earth Friday night, losing 5-2 to the Nanaimo Clippers in game two of a three-game western road trip.
The back-and-forth game saw Nanaimo jump out to a 3-0 lead after the first period before the Vipers closed the deficit to 3-2 in the second, only for Nanaimo to add another tally just before the end of the period. They then iced the game with a late third period goal.
The Vipers had a rough start to the game as they were assessed a bench minor for too many men on the ice just over a minute into the game, and Joel Plante scored on the ensuing Clippers power play.
Dylan Kinch scored an unassisted goal at the midpoint of the first before getting the primary helper on a goal from Connor Haynes that came with 30 seconds left in the period.
In the second period, Landon MacDonald scored his eighth goal of the season for the Vipers. Roughly 10 minutes of game time later, Lucas Brennan potted his fifth of the season to make it a 3-2 hockey game. But the Clippers struck back with Makaio Van Tassel scoring a minute and a half before the second period buzzer.
Chase Hull added a goal near the end of the third period as the Clippers cruised to the 5-2 victory.
Friday's game was a chance for Clippers forward and Vernon native Morgan Hackman to score his first BC Hockey League point against his hometown team, but the 16-year-old was held off the scoresheet.
The Clippers snapped a two-game winning streak for the Vipers, who sit in eighth place in the Interior conference with an 8-11-4-0-0 record. The Clippers are eighth in the Coastal conference with a 9-11-2-0-0 record.
The loss to the Clippers was the Vipers' first game without Shea Busch, who has chosen to join the Western Hockey League. The Penn State commit's rights were traded to the Everett Silvertips from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick on Friday.
The Vipers are back in action Saturday night, Nov. 30, when they take on the Powell River Kings to end their Coastal road trip. Puck drops at 5 p.m.
Vipers name additions to leadership group
Some new players were skating with an A on their jersey in Friday's game. Prior to the game, the Vipers announced additions to the team's leadership group: Luke Bibby, Marko Stojkov and Landon MacDonald have been named assistant captains.
“We wanted to take some time and observe the group since we had many new faces,” said head coach Lukas Lomicky. “With the departure of our other assistant captains, we identified Luke, Marko, and Landon as a great fit to replace them in this role and support Erik (Pastro) as captain.”
“It’s an honour to be able to wear a letter on this team. I am confident with the group we have, and I believe it’s going to take a room full of leaders to accomplish our end goal," said Bibby.
“Being recognized by the coaching staff as a leader is a huge honour for me. I’m excited and proud to have the chance to wear a letter," said Stojkov.
MacDonald added: “It’s an incredible honour to be named to the leadership group. I’m grateful for the trust my teammates and coaches have placed in me. I’m committed to leading by example, supporting my team, and giving everything I have to help us succeed together.”
