Make it 53 and counting for the Vernon Coca Cola Tier 3 Vipers.
The Midget Rep Snakes took Game 1 of the best-of-three Okanagan Mainline hockey championship Friday at the Civic Arena, dumping the Clearwater Ice Hawks 5-2 to win their 53rd straight game against zero defeats.
Game 2 went Saturday in Clearwater. Game 3, if necessary, is Sunday at 2:45 p.m. at the Civic. The series winner advances to the B.C. Championships March 18-22 in West Vancouver.
Cory Lazar opened the scoring for the Vipers, taking advantage of a giveaway in the slot to wire a wrist shot past the Ice Hawks netminder. Mason Robinson made it 2-0 on a powerplay slapshot and KT Walters scored the first of his two goals, also on the powerplay, to give Vernon a 3-0 bulge after 20 minutes.
Dayton Bryan scored an unassisted goal on a two-man Vernon powerplay midway through the second period to make it 4-0 before Clearwater got one back after the ice clean.
Walters added his second late in period and the Ice Hawks finished off the scoring in the third.
Clearwater was whistled for 47 minutes in penalties, including six, four-minute head contact infractions. Vernon had 32 minutes in penalties with three, four-minute head contact calls.
An Ice Hawks coach was ejected in the second period for arguing with the referee.
Vernon Watkin Motors Mustangs beat West Kelowna 6-5 at the Civic Friday in Game 1 of the best-of-three Okanagan Tier 2 Pee Wee championship. Game 2 was in West Kelowna Saturday. Game 3, if necessary, would be today at 12:30 p.m. at the Civic.