#manuel Sequeira
Black Press
It was good advice from the bench boss.
The Vernon Vipers listened to the message delivered by head coach Mark Ferner and it resulted in a 4-3 double overtime win over the Penticton Vees Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Luke Voltin had his shot from inside the Penticton blueline redirect off a Vees defenceman’s leg, fooling goalie Hunter Miska, who was caught going in the direction he thought the puck was heading, beating him glove side at 5:37 of the fifth period.
“All we told the kids is throw as many pucks to the net as possible, who knows what happens,” said Ferner, as his team took a 3-2 series lead in the BCHL Interior Division Final. Game 6 went Saturday night at Kal Tire Place.
“Obviously it wasn’t directed at the net. We got a bounce tonight.”
Added Vipers captain Riley Guenther, who forced overtime with a point shot late in regulation time: “That’s a double overtime goal. Just throwing pucks (at the net). We were lucky to get one past him. I was just ecstatic. Pretty pumped. We’re starting to get bounces our way. We’re stating to get rewarded for our hard work.”
The Vipers led 1-0 after the first period on Voltin’s first goal of the night, however the Vees rebounded in the second, scoring three unanswered goals starting with Riley Alferd’s tally on a wraparound as he beat Vipers goalie Danny Todosychuk to the post.
Ten minutes later, Steen Cooper gave the Vees a 2-1 lead when his centering pass hit a Vernon stick and beat Todosychuk five-hole.
Seven seconds later, off the ensuing faceoff, Miles Gendron handed off the puck to Dakota Conroy, who dished it off to Connor Chartier in the offensive zone and Chartier wired his sixth goal in 10 playoff games past Todosychuk’s glove. The Vernon netminder finished with 48 saves on the night, including 14 in the first period.
The Vipers scratched their way back in the third period starting with Mackenzie Bauer’s goal that hit Miska’s right shoulder then bounced into the top corner of the net.
Guenther took a pass from Jagger Williamson to force overtime when his shot from the left point beat Miska, who appeared to be screened on the play, with 2:12 left in regulation time. Miska finished the night with 37 saves.
“It was another character win for our guys,” said Ferner. “We had that stretch there in the second where we got down by a couple of goals, we said what we needed to say to the kids and they responded. It’s not an easy thing to come back from two goals down against a very good team like Penticton.”
Vees coach-general manager Fred Harbinson liked his team’s play in the third period and never felt they sat back.
“We made an individual mistake on the second goal. It ended up in our net. Gave them some life,” said Harbinson. “Then they get a seeing eye shot with two minutes to go. In the overtime, I thought we really controlled the play. One of the weirder goals I’ve ever seen in overtime.”
Ferner admitted the series is far from over. Guenther expected another war Saturday.
“They are not going to roll over,” he said. “We know the fourth win is always the hardest one. It will be a great game. Hopefully it will be a good crowd. Good Vernon-Penticton game for sure.”
If the Vees won Saturday, Game 7 returns to the SOEC tonight at 6 p.m.
SNAKE BITES: Friday’s game marked the return of Vernon forward Liam Finlay, who hadn’t played since suffering an upper body injury early in Game 2….There were only four minor penalties called in the game, two to each team. Both teams went 0-2 on the powerplay…The Vipers are now 2-1 in overtime in this post-season, the Vees are 3-2…Powell River Kings forced Game 7 in the Island Division final Friday with a 4-2 home ice win over the Nanaimo Clippers. Vernon’s Spencer Hewson scored once for Nanaimo, who host Game 7 tonight…The Chilliwack Chiefs won the Mainland Division final in four straight over the Prince George Spruce Kings…The league’s third round, double round robin series, featuring the three conference champions, starts March 25.
