Morning Star Staff
Nic Bolin scored eight minutes into overtime on a great individual play as the Sun Valley Source for Sports Vipers clipped the South Anchorage Moose 4-3 in Sunday’s Tier 2 final of the 48th Kamloops International Bantam Ice Hockey Tournament.
Team Hungary bounced the Vancouver Thunderbirds 6-1 to claim gold in the Tier 1 final.
Bolin was awarded player of the game at McArthur Island Sport Centre Olympic Rink, while Nic Teale and Tyler Sedlacek were named to the tournament all-star team.
“There was a scramble at the blueline, he got it and wheeled down the left wing, cut to the net and went top shelf for a beautiful goal,” said Vernon head coach Brad Teale, assisted by former NHLers Dean McAmmond and Sandy Moger. Trainer is Kevin Walters.
Teale, Colby Feist and Kevin Thomas-Walters scored in regulation.
Sedlacek was named Top Goalie as Vernon won its fourth straight tournament.
The Sun Valley crew dominated preliminary play by going 3-0 and finishing ranked second.
Vernon beat Fremont Flyers of Nebraska 7-2 with Bolin game MVP, iced Williams Lake 7-2 with Teale MVP, and shut down North Delta 4-0 with Feist MVP.
Vernon hung on to defeat the North Shore Winter Club 4-2 in the quarterfinals with Trevor Kennedy getting the nod as MVP.
The Vipers doubled the Campbell River Tyees 4-2 in the semis with Sedlacek solid in goal. There were 20 teams in the Tier 2 category.
The last time a Vernon team reached the KIBIHT final was 1969 when they lost to North Shore.
“What really worked for the kids was playing as a full team,” added Teale. “These kids love the game; they live for the game. We’re shooting for the provincial championship (in Salmon Arm in March) and that’s a goal this group is definitely capable of reaching.”
With three regulars injured, the Vipers recalled Gavin Fleck, Cole Boyarski and Kael Black from the Bantam Tier 3 Vipers. First-place Sun Valley (12-1) returns to league play Saturday at Priest Valley (3 p.m.) when they tangle with the Salmon Arm Silvertips (6-7-1).
The Vernon Home Hardware Centre Vipers smothered the Kamloops Blazers 10-0 in their first regular season Midget Tier 2 game of the New Year Sunday night at Civic Arena.
Reed Cashato counted four goals while Grady Caton and Brady Marzocco each supplied a pair. Nick Cherkowski and Dawson Chase finished off the scoring with Carl Main picking up five helpers.
Billy Cawthorn earned the shutout over the winless Blazers. The Vipers open the Kamloops tournament Friday night against Abbotsford at Memorial Arena.
Vernon takes on Williams Lake Saturday morning at 6:30 and then tangle with Kamloops in a 5:45 p.m. game, both set for Memorial.
In Midget Tier 3 play, the Coca-Cola Vipers iced West Kelowna 6-3 at Saturday at Royal LePage Place.
Mika Burns tapped in the rebound after a point shot from Ethan Joe with Zach Agar earning the second assist.
Joe Eggert undressed a d-man and went top shelf with a snap shot for Vernon’s second snipe.Tyson Sampert’s slapper from the point went straight in with Eggert and Cameron MacKenzie drawing the assists.
In the third period, Lucas Halvorson knocked in a rebound of a shot by Joe, who then converted from Aidan Rysen and Eggert.
MacKenzie took a big hit to free up Caden Bracken’s breakaway snap shot stick side. Kieran Watts recorded 28 saves.
The Coke crew entertains Penticton in league play Saturday, 5:30 p.m., at Priest Valley.
The Vernon Fix Auto Vipers lost 8-2 to the Kelowna Rockets in Bantam Tier 3 action Sunday at the Capital News Centre.
Playing with only 10 skaters, the Vipers went hard and got goals from Jacob Brewer and Chapperon Chillihitzia.
Goaltending duties were spit between Jordan Foster and Aiden Spraggs. The Vipers head to Chilliwack Friday for their final tournament of the year.
The Nixon Wenger Pee Wee Tier 3 Vipers ambushed the Salmon Arm Silvertips 8-2 and brushed back the North Okanagan Knights 5-3 in Pee Wee Tier 3 action.
D-man John Spraggs supplied 2+2 against the Tips, while Tyler Burke bagged 1+2 and other goals came from Cash Anderson, Bennett Kuhnlein and Owen Swiscoski.
Chris Reinhardt returned to the lineup and rang up four goals as Vernon defeated the Knights. Kuhnlein added a single, while Burke pocketed a pair of helpers.
The H & L Glass Vipers C team had a much improved showing in a 6-4 Atom C loss to Kelowna.
The teams were tied 2-2 after one period as Riley Beer and Hudson Kibblewhite got Vernon on the board with helpers from Marcel Green and Joshua Mark.
Vernon took a 4-2 lead in the second period with goals from Austen Vandenbrand and Beer. Maguire Nicholson got the assist on the Vandenbrand goal.
The third period saw Kelowna score four unanswered goals. Goaltender Matthew Kuhnlein faced an amazing 57 shots to keep the Vipers in the game.