The Vernon Vipers head to Duncan tonight tied for second place in the B.C. Hockey League’s Interior Divisi0n.
The Vipers lost 2-1 to the host Powell River Kings Friday night, while the Wenatchee Wild dispatched the Trail Smoke Eaters to grab a share of second spot in the tight Interior.
The Penticton Vees moved four points ahead of Vernon and Wenatchee by getting two goals from Owen Sillinger in a 5-1 win over the Coquitlam Express at the Poirier Sports & Leisure Centre.
First star Derek Krall, summoned from the Junior B Nanaimo Buccaneers, posted 46 saves as Powell River shaded the Vipers before 875 fans at Hap Parker Arena. Krall, 18, of Crofton, B.C., has a 2.76 GAA with Nanaimo was appearing in his third game with Powell River.
Ben Berard scored in the first and second periods for the Kings, who are 28-16-6-4 and one point behind the Mainland Division-leading Victoria Grizzlies.
Jimmy Lambert countered for the Vipers at 8:38 of the third period with Mitch Andres and Brett Stapley drawing assists. Ty Taylor made 24 saves for Vernon, who outshot Powell River 25-7 in the middle stanza.
Vernon take on the Cowichan Valley Capitals tonight and visit the Port Alberni Bulldogs Sunday afternoon. The Vipers entertain Wenatchee (Friday) and Trail (Saturday) to finish the regular season.
The Vipers were without monster d-man Shane Kelly, who is serving a four-game suspension for getting in his fifth fight of the season Feb. 10 vs Penticton).
The Interior champion will likely meet the Coquitlam Express in a crossover opening-round playoff series (only one team in the 17-team league misses the playoffs). The second-place finisher takes on the seventh-place finisher, while three plays five and four meets six. Vernon is guaranteed home ice for the best-of-seven first round.