Morning Star Staff
The Vernon Home Hardware Centre Vipers came from behind twice to edge the Penticton Vees 3-2 in the Okanagan Mainline Midget Tier 2 Hockey League best-of-three final series opener Saturday at Memorial Arena.
Game 2 goes Saturday in Vernon at Civic Arena (3:45 p.m.). A third game, if required, will be played Sunday at 8 a.m. in Summerland due to the B.C. Winter Games in Penticton. The champion advances to the B.C. playoffs, March 13-18, in Prince George.
Head coach Keith Chase brought up forwards Joe Eggert and Harvey Pawsey from Tier 3 with Connor Johnston (wrist) on injured reserve and Bryce Pyle holidaying in Mexico.
Eggert collected 1+2 playing centre on the top line with Carl Main and Reed Cashato, while Pawsey was fabulous on the forecheck and reliable up and down the wall.
“We’ve called Joe up three or four times and he has got a big assist or big goal just about every game,” said Chase. “He’s a smart and skilled player and his skating has really improved. He works hard which gives the rest of the guys some confidence.”
The regular-season champion Vees (12-2-1) came out strong, skating hard and finishing their checks after a couple of weeks off.
Penticton opened the scoring on a screened shot before second-place Vernon (11-2-2) equalized on a nice passing play from Eggert and Main. A streaking Cashato took the feed and converted top shelf with a one-timer.
The Vees took the lead again before a Vernon powerplay goal leveled the score with 10 seconds left in the second period. Dylan Sedlacek fed Eggert, who found Main for the 2-2 goal.
The Home Hardware crew took advantage of another powerplay early in the third period when Eggert tipped in a beautiful feed from Main and Cashato.
The Vipers got into penalty trouble in the third period but their defence stood strong in front of a rock-solid Billy Cawthorn.
“The referee put us in the box four straight times and Billy shut the door,” said Chase. “We don’t score a lot of goals but we have the best dee in the league and our goalies are both very good (Connor Webb is the other G).”
Johnston, a roadrunner and leader, may return for Game 2.
The Coca-Cola Tier 3 Vipers lost 7-0 to host Kelowna Saturday. Game 2 goes Saturday night at 7:30 (Civic).
The Sun Valley Source for Sports Vipers are also one win away from reaching provincials after stuffing Kelowna 6-1 Saturday at Civic Arena.
Tyler Sedlacek made multiple highlight-reel saves in the first five minutes as Kelowna (9-6-3) pressed hard against the first-place Vipers (16-2), who were coming off a four-week break.
Nic Bolin pocketed 2+3 for the Sun Valley crew, while Colby Feist also recorded a deuce, Nic Teale added 1+2 and Corbin Hanson also scored.
Cole Johnson and Lincoln Connor chipped in with helpers.
Game 2 goes Saturday in Rutland, with a third game, if needed, Sunday at Kal Tire Place. The provincials are March 13-18, in Salmon Arm.
The Watkin Motors Mustangs and Penticton are going to Game 3 Saturday (1:15 p.m., Civic) in their Pee Wee Tier 2 final series.
The first-place Mustangs stopped the second-place Vees 5-1 Saturday at Civic with the Vees winning 4-3 Sunday at home.
Steel Quiring provided 2+1 as the Mustangs (14-1) took the series opener. Captain Jacob Boden, Jakob Jones and Zackary Funk supplied singles.
Jace Weir, Jarred Feist and Liam Remple earned clutch assists in front of a stellar Cayden Hamming.
In Penticton, the Vees opened the scoring for the second straight game before Vernon equalized midway through the first on a blast by Remple, assisted by Funk and Connor Elliott.
The Vees then rang up three unanswered snipes for a 4-1 lead. Funk converted a nice pass by Elliot. late in the second stanza and Isaac Thomas brought Vernon within one midway through the third.
Teja Sheldrake started, giving way to Hamming late in the second period.
The H&L Glass Atom C Vipers split a pair with South Okanagan, falling 3-2 Saturday in Oliver before winning 6-2 Sunday at the Sun Bowl in Osoyoos.
South Okanagan went up 3-0 Saturday before Ryan Cox was sent in all alone and converted after a great cross-ice feed from Hudson Kibblewhite. Second assist went to Colter Louis.
Austen Vandenbrand scored the second after some quick puck movement and precision passing from Jeffrey Curtis and Lyndon Carleton.
Curtis (1+1) opened the scoring Sunday with a five-hole goal on passes from Carleton (2+1) and Vandenbrand (1+2). Riley Beer (2) got his first of the game with a hard shot from in close.
In Super League Midget playoff action, the fifth-place North Okanagan Knights upset banner-winning Talon Benefits Thrashers 6-4 and iced third-place Vernon Authentic Trophy & Plaque Snakes 6-3.
Jaxon Cummings pulled the hat trick as the Knights beat the Thrashers Monday night at Kal Tire Place. Clayton Thielman, Sarah Gilowski and Marshall Jones also scored.
Rowan Wood, Sam Frisby, Nick Poirier and Brendan Horsfield replied for Talon.
Liam Sutherland and Jordan Campagnolo each rang up deuces as the Knights grounded the shortstaffed Snakes Saturday in a penalty-filled affair at Nor-Val Sports Centre.
Gilowski and Jones added singles, while Tiege Doughty, Nick Mitchell and Brogan Houston countered for the Snakes.
The second-place Corbett Office Kings shaded the Knights 1-0 Sunday with Cole Benjaminsen netting the winner, from Ryley, midway through the third. Ethan Huizinga earned the shutout.
The Kings tied the host Salmon Arm Lakeside Printing Sting 3-3 Saturday with Brett Lambert providing a deuce and Reid Lawrence getting one.
Jaden Steinke scored three times as the Thrashers iced Blackburn Excavating of Salmon Arm 5-3 Sunday at Civic Arena.
Wood and Horsfield contributed singles.