Morning Star Staff
The Vernon H&L Glass Vipers zapped the Penticton Vees 9-4 in Atom Tier 3 hockey action Saturday at Civic Arena.
Nick Noren provided the grunt work on the first scoring play, muscling the puck out of his zone to Emma Elders on the right-side boards. Elders took off up the wing, and then laid a buttery dish over to Colby Restiaux, who picked the top corner on the short side.
Penticton bounced back with a pair. With the Vees looking for more on the powerplay, Restiaux forced a turnover in the Penticton end, and Elders buried a 40-foot wrister.
Despite being shorthanded for more than half the second period, Vernon limited the Vees to only four shots in the frame.
The H&L Glass crew blew the game wide open with two goals in the first minute of the third. Right off the opening faceoff, Liam Leibel broke in and located Chris Bond in the slot for a one-time lamplighter.
Bond won the ensuing draw to Leibel, who cut through the Penticton defence with some shakes and bakes and then flicked a backhander past the keeper. Not a minute later, Maddex Minard, sent in by John Spraggs, rocked the mesh with a heavy wrister. On the next shift, Bond and Leibel were back at it, setting up Noren at the back door for Vernon’s sixth.
Penticton got two back and threatened again, but winning goalie Jaret Cooper came up with a timely left-pad save. Vernon then salted the game, peppering three more into the net on pretty passing plays.
Elders and Restiaux worked the puck up to Minard, who shelved his second. Noren followed with his deuce through the five-hole, assisted by Leibel and Remple. Bond finished off a 3-on-1, bagging his second, from Noren and Quinn Soon.
The Coca-Cola Vipers battled Kamloops Blazers to a 2-2 tie in exhibition Midget Tier 2 play Saturday at Civic.
Brenden Zupp supplied both Vernon snipes in the penalty-filled contest. Assists went to Jarett Campbell on the first goal, and Cameron Hitch on the second.
