Vernon’s H&L Glass Development A Junior Vipers harvested gold at their own minor hockey tournament at Kal Tire Place North.
The Vipers defeated West Kelowna 7-6 in a thrilling final match of the Fall Harvest Tournament.
West Kelowna jumped out to a 4-0 lead on two goals by Lux Naka and singles from Payton McPhail and Jake Gates.
Cue the Vernon comeback.
Jake Black got the Vipers on the scoreboard, Harrison Sharman then added Vernon’s second of the game off an assist from Bryden Ezekiel. West Kelowna tried to restore their lead with a goal from Dexter Labreque, but Vernon answered right back with a goal from Trent Keenan (assisted by Black). Blake Sakakibara added another for Vernon off a pass from Harlan Hesby to end the second with West Kelowna up 5-4.
Nathan Sluggett scored to tie the game for Vernon in the third period with a shot from the point. West Kelowna went up 6-5 with a goal from Vincent Biro. Vernon answered the challenge again, with Black getting his second of the game off a pass from Keenan to tie it back up. With under two minutes to go in the game Sharman added his second of the game from Keenan to finish the comeback and secure the 7-6 win for H&L Glass.
Earlier in the tournament, the H&L Glass Jr Vipers defeated Prince George 7-6 with goals from Black (2), Keenan, Ben Tyssen, Sharman, Ezekiel, and Cohen Betham. They played South Okanagan in their second game, rolling to a 7-2 victory. Goals in that game came from Tyssen, Bentham, Cole Pinette, Harlan Hesby, Reed Witham, Black, and Aidan Boyd. In their final game of round-robin play, the H&L Glass Jr Vipers rolled past Mission with an 11-2 victory. In that game, goals came from Sharman (3), Bentham (2), Ezekiel (2), Keenan (2), Witham, and Black.
Vernon tuned up for the tournament by sweeping a pair games the weekend prior.
The Vipers edged Kamloops 5-4 with Tyssen’s second goal of the game, from Sharman and Cole Pinnette, snapping a late 4-4 tie. Sharman, Liam Locke and TJ Podollan had the other goals. Lucas Gosselin was stellar in the Vipers’ goal, facing a barrage of shots.
The day before, Vernon walloped hometown Kelowna 14-4. The Vipers scored five times in the first period, courtesy of Black, Boyd, Bentham, Keenan and Sharman, added three more in the second from Black, Sharman and Locke, then finished with a six-pack in the third period courtesy of Locke (2), Black, Podollan, Bentham, and Sharman.
The H&L Glass Junior Vipers are back in action this Saturday morning against Kelowna A 2.
PEEWEE TIER 1
Vernon Watkin Motors Mustangs went north Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23 and 24, and came away with a pair of victories over the Prince George Cougars.
Dominik Silbernagel had three goals and added four assists as Vernon won 12-6. Harry Watson, Hudson Podollan and Jace Hickin added two goals each while singles went to Cohen Hogberg, Berkeley Reid and Nixon Whieldon.
In an 8-3 Mustangs win, Alexander Sharman had three goals, Reid and Silbernagel each scored twice and Jack Saxton added a goal and three helpers to pace Vernon.
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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