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Midget Vipers win fifth tournament

The Vernon Midget Coca-Cola Vipers are 38-0 on the season
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Gavin Fleck of the Vernon Coca-Cola Vipers gets past Leif Scott of the Quesnel Thunder during the Vernon Midget Snakepit Hockey Tournament Saturday at Civic Arena. (Lisa Mazurek/Morning Star)

The Vernon Coca-Cola Vipers actually don’t get changed in a phone booth, but their super powers on the ice are only getting stronger early in 2018.

They are now 5-for-5 in tournaments and 38-0 on the season. And they captured their home Midget Tier 3 Snakepit Invitational in style Sunday at Civic Arena, stopping the Trail Smokies 3-0 on head coach Casey Sherriff’s 38th birthday.

“I was humbled by these great kids on my birthday,” penned Sherriff, on Facebook. “Was an amazing day and I hope you all know how thankful I am for all of you.”

Jacob Brewer, Russel Borrett and captain Tyson Sampert supplied the goals and Jordan Foster went the distance in net. Borrett took game MVP.

The Vipers grounded the Merritt Junior Centennials 4-2 in a tough semifinal with KT Walters going five-hole on two late goals to complete his hat trick for MVP. Cory Lazar added a single in support of Koltin Dodge.

Brewer bagged a deuce, while Lazar and Gavin Fleck each provided 1+2 as Vernon ambushed Merritt 7-0 in preliminary play Saturday night. Sampert, Jacob Green and Borrett produced singles with Walters pocketing a pair of helpers. Foster took MVP in net.

Green and Brewer bagged first-period snipes as the Coke crew clipped the Quesnel Thunder 2-1 earlier Saturday. Dodge earned the win and MVP honours.

Foster was awarded MVP in the crease as Vernon opened the eight-team tournament by icing the Aldergrove Bruins. Goals came from Jaden Foster, Brewer, Green, Cole Johnson and Carter Wiebe.

The North Zone King shut down the East Kootenay Ice 3-0 and tied the Thompson one Blazers 3-3 in Midget Tier 1 play.

Caleb Mitchell recorded the shutout Saturday night at Priest Valley Arena. Captain Joe Eggert opened the offence when he banged in a rebound from Nic Teale’s shot.

Eli Dywer ended the first periodon a rebound from Dylan Huber’s shot with Lucas Wood getting the secondary assist. Some sweet passing from d-men Cam Moger and Lee Christensen fed Teale back door to finish the third-period scoring.

Eric Noren capitalized on a turnover and deked the tender to open the scoring Sunday in Logan Lake.

The Blazers equalized on a bad bounce off the end board glass before Eggert tapped in from Dylan Huber and Aidan Rysen to put the Kings ahead. Shortly after, another wacky bounce off the same end board glass allowed the Blazers to level the score.

Teale’s shot was redirected to make it 3-2 Kings in the third before the Blazers tied it on a power play. The Kings entertain the South Zone Saturday, 7:30 p.m., at Civic.

The North Zone brushed back the South Zone 3-2 in Bantam Tier 1 league action Saturday at Priest Valley Arena.

Devin Jameson, Andrew Teare, with 19 seconds left in the second period, and Matt Johnston handled the North Zone offence. D-man Jace Weir counted two helpers.

The North Zone boys are in a Whitehorse tournament this weekend.

The Sun Valley Source for Sports Vipers dispatched the Kelowna Rockets 6-1 in Bantam Tier 3 league play Saturday afternoon at Priedt Valley Arena.

The Vipers (21-6-2) used some balanced scoring in a very fast-paced and physical tilt. Chris Reinhardt registered two early snipes with assists going to Bennett Kuhnlein and Reilly Teager.

Maddex Minard connected on two laser beams with Chris Bond and Jayden Attwood assisting. The fearless Max Stewart drove the net to bang in a rebound with Cody Beckner and Nolan Thomas assisting. Parker Stadnyk posted some clutch saves.

Said Sun Valley head coach Sam Mowat: “We got solid goaltending Saturday. It’s important that our goalies see how vital their role is in the continued Vipers; success. The boys scored some very nice goals, with good emotional control by our guys during a chippy second half.”

After a substantial layoff due to OMAHA scheduling, the Watkins Motors Mustangs blew off the rust with a pair of Pee Wee Tier 2 games .

The Mustangs tied Salmon Arm Silvertips 6-6 Saturday at the Shaw Centre, giving up a healthy lead and a tying goal in the dying minutes.

“We had a lot of rust on the skates after a long break,” said Mustang head coach Taylor Wilson. “It seemed like we were still on Christmas Break and playing shinny out there. We were lucky to come out of that one with a tie.”

Deagan McMillan, who turned 13 Sunday, pulled the hat trick while Erik Pastro, Cosmo Wilson and Theo Van Wyk added singles in support of Matthew Kuhnlein.

The Mustangs throttled the Kamloops Blazers 16-0 Sunday at Civic with Erik Pastro producing five goals and Hudson Kibblewhite getting four. Austin Seibel earned the shutout.

“We had multiple assists on most of the goals which is showing good team play,” said Wilson. “This will be key coming down the stretch to the Coca-Cola Classic and playoffs.”

In Atom Development play, the H&L Glass Junior Vipers lost 7-6 to the Penticton Vees with Morgan Hackman and Oliver Murray each ringing up deuces for the Vipers. Ollie Reid scored once in front of a stellar Kasey Fusion.

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