Despite a flurry of shots on net, the Vipers could barely crack the wall of Cranbrook Bucks goaltender Miles Roberts, as his Bucks team won, 5-1, over the Vipers in Vernon on Saturday, Dec. 8.
The Vipers were looking to snap a three-game losing streak and were facing a visiting Cranbrook team that just dispatched Okanagan rival Salmon Arm 2-1 on Friday.
Cranbrook scored the game's first three goals, peppering Vipers goaltender Marko Bilic with 29 shots in two periods. Samuel Lyne, Malachi Freh and Rasmus Svartstrom were the goal scorers for the Bucks.
Vernon was able to claw one back in the second off the stick of Landon MacDonald. The goal prompted thousands of teddy bears from a crowd of over 2,000 to rain down as a part of the annual teddy bear toss. All stuffed toys were donated to the Beach Radio's Santa’s Toy Fund.
In the final frame, Cranbrook would pad their lead, scoring an empty-net short-handed marker from Kaslo Ferner with less than two minutes left. Shane Baker tacked another one a minute later to seal the win for the visitors.
Roberts was sharp in net for the Bucks, making 40 saves for his fourth victory of the season.
Svartstrom's goal, his 20th of the season, has him tied for the lead league. The Bucks (14-10-1) are sixth in the Interior Conference at 29 points.
With the loss, Vernon (8-14-4) remains in a tie for ninth in the Interior Conference at 20 points. They will be back on the ice on Friday, Dec. 13, against the cellar-dwelling Blackfalds Bulldogs, who have just two wins.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. in the final game before the Christmas break.
