The Vernon-Penticton hockey rivalry goes back seven or eight decades.
The intensity ramps up again Friday night as the Vipers meet the Vees in the B.C. Hockey League Interior Division best-of-seven series opener at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Penticton will be appearing in the Interior final for the sixth straight year, and it is the third time in four years they will face Vernon.
Captain Nicholas Jones scored twice and added an assist as the Vees grounded the visiting Merritt Centennials 6-2 in Game 7 of the Interior Division semifinal series in front of 3,774 fans Monday night.
The Vees were pushed to the limit after leading the series 3-1. The Vipers, who dispatched the Trail Smoke Eaters a week ago, play Game 2 Saturday night in Penticton. The series resumes at Kal Tire Place Monday and Tuesday nights. A fifth game, if required, would go Friday, April 7 in Penticton with Game 6 in Vernon the next night.
Duncan Campbell had a goal and two assists and Chris Klack a goal and an assist, giving the line centered by Jones three goals and eight scoring points in Game 7.
Meanwhile, former Viper speedster Liam Finlay will play for an NCAA championship ring.
Finlay helped the Denver Pioneers grab a Frozen Four berth in Chicago, along with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs and Harvard Crimson.
Finlay and the Pioneers will play Notre Dame April 6 in one semifinal.
Finlay had an assist in Denver’s 6-3 regional quarterfinal win over the Penn State Nittany Lions. In opening round action, Finlay had two assists in the Pioneers’ 5-2 romp over the Michigan Tech Huskies, whose lineup featured 10 former B.C.H.L. players, including former Viper Mason Blacklock and former Salmon Arm Silverbacks Shane Hanna, Alex Gillies and goalie Angus Redmond.
Finlay has played in 36 games this season for Denver, amassing eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points.
There are 18 former BCHL players on the Frozen Four teams.
A total of 62 BCHL grads were involved in the NCAA Division 1 playoffs.