Morning Star Staff
Connor Johnston buried a rebound off a Jason Shaigec shot at 2:28 of four-on-four overtime Sunday as the Vernon Home Hardware Centre Vipers clipped the Penticton Vees 2-1 in the Kamloops Midget Tier 2 Hockey Tournament final.
Conor Webb was strong in the Viper goal after being knocked out of the game for 10 minutes early in the first when a Vee player ran him into the net. Webb shook it off and played lights out to shut the door.
Reed Cashato opened the scoring on a nice feed from Carl Main. Vernon pressed the play for most of the game and had Penticton hemmed in their zone several times but couldn’t bury the winner in regulation time.
The Vipers went undefeated in round-robin play and defeated West Kelowna 5-2 in one semi-final while Penticton took out Williams Lake in the other semi.
Main rang up a deuce in the semis, while Nick Cherkowski, Dawson Chase and Stephane Richard each had singles. Billy Cawthorn took the victory.
The late Saturday preliminary game saw the Vipers drop the host Kamloops Blazers 5-3 with Grady Caton, Shaigec, Cashato, Dex Elders and Harvey Pawsey converting.
Vernon is coached by Keith Chase, Eddie Johnstone, Jared Barendregt and Hayden Chase.
The Home Hardware crew visits first-place Penticton (10-1-1) Saturday night before hosting Kelowna (2-8-1) Sunday, 4:15 p.m., at Civic Arena. Vernon is second at 8-2-1.
Fix Auto Bantams go 1-1-3 in Chilliwack
The Vernon Fix Auto Vipers went 1-1-3 in the Paul Brenner Bantam Tier 3 Memorial Tournament in Chilliwack.
Vernon dropped its final game 4-1 to Aldegrove with captain and game MVP Gavin Fleck scoring the Vipers’ only goal.
Jadon Foster scored twice as the Fix Auto crew toppled the Vancouver Thunderbirds 6-1.
Game MVP Zack Laranjo sniped a nice goal from in tight and defenceman Connor Hansen one-timed a slapshot top shelf from the slot. Mason Robinson and Fleck finished off the scoring in front of a solid Aidan Spraggs.
Vernon has three more regular-season games before playoffs.
Mustangs sweep Pee Wee Tier 2 games
The Watkin Motors Mustangs mauled the Salmon Arm Silvertips 10-1 in Pee Wee Tier 2 play.
Austin Roest recorded a hat trick, while Jarred Feist scored twice, and singles came from Connor Elliott, Steel Quiring, Zack Funk, Isaac Thomas and Jakob Jones.
Teja Sheldrake and Cayden Hamming shared goaltending duties. The Silvertips fell to 0-13.
Funk pulled the hat trick and added two assists Sunday at Kal Tire Place as the Mustangs grounded the Kelowna Rockets 8-3.
Roest and Jones with 1+2 apiece, Ronac Chauhan, Quiring and Thomas finished the scoring with Feist getting two helpers.
Elliott anchored the Vernon defence and had one assist in front of Sheldrake and Hamming. The Vipers improved to 13-1 atop the Okanagan Mainline table. Kelowna dipped to 3-9-2.
The Mustangs open the 45th annual Coca-Cola Classic Feb. 11 against the Glenlake Hawks of Calgary at Civic Arena. Vernon is in the Coca-Cola pool with the Dawson Creek Canucks and the Idaho Jr. Steelheads.
Nixon Wenger Pee Wees fall in shootout
The Nixon Wenger Vipers fell 4-3 in a semifinal shootout to the host North Okanagan Knights in Pee Wee Tier 3 tournament play Sunday at Nor-Val Sports Centre.
Tyler Burke, Damien Glover and Owen Swiscoski connected in regulation, while Nixon Wenger goalie Brayden Schmeigelt was exceptional in the overtime and shootout before succumbing to the fifth North Ok shooter.
In Saturday preliminary play, Bennett Kuhnlein scored twice and Chris Reinhardt and Maddux Minard added singles as the Vipers edged the Knights 4-3,
Earlier Saturday, Vernon bowed 7-2 to Surrey with Kuhnlein and Swiscoski supplying snipes.
Fletcher nets 15th in Lakers’ 1-1 tie
The Thompson Okanagan Lakers salvaged a 1-1 tie with the Northern Capitals Sunday in Prince George after losing the opening two games of the Midget Female AAA series.
Jenna Fletcher of Vernon (15th of the season) scored with help from Riley Henderson and Julianne Nelson in Sunday’s draw. Kendra Woodland was in net.
The Caps earlier posted 4-0 and 1-0 wins to improve to 16-5-3, good for second place, three points back of the Greater Vancouver Comets. The Lakers are third at 12-7-5 and face the Vancouver Island Seals Saturday, Jan. 24 in Campbell River.
Valley Wood Atoms lose 8-2 to Kelowna.
The Valley Wood Remanufacturing Vipers lost 8-2 to the Kelowna Chiefs in Atom A Development league action.
JJ Milne tallied both Viper snipes with Taryk Filipuzzi chipping in with one assist. Josh Donison took the loss.
“After an extended Christmas break, the boys had some jump but we just couldn’t buy a goal or a bounce,” said head coach Trevor Seibel. “A couple crossbars and lots of loose pucks in front of the net but just no finish. And it seemed like every mistake we made ended up in our net. If we continue to work hard, we will get those bounces in our favour at some point in the season.”
Next up for the Vipers is a home date with Kamloops #2 Friday night at Priest Valley Arena. Game time is 6 p.m.
H&L Glass Atoms brush back Salmon Arm
The H&L Glass Atom C Vipers upended Salmon Arm Silvertips 5-3 Sunday
Linemates Jeffrey Curtis and Lyndon Carleton put H&L Glass in front 2-1 after one period, Austen Vandenbrand assisting both snipes.
The team held the lead the rest of the way with Maguire Nicholson scoring twice from Hudson Kibblewhite and Ryan Cox and Charlie Swartz getting one on a great second effort after the Salmon Arm keeper saved his first attempt. A great pass from Riley Beer set up the insurance goal from Swartz.