The Vernon Sun Valley Source For Sports Vipers struck Bantam Rep hockey silver at a tournament last weekend in Quesnel.
After winning four straight games, Vernon ran into a hot goalie as they fell 4-2 to Dawson Creek in Sunday’s final.
Trailing 3-0 after two periods, the Source boys got on the board early in the final frame when Dylan Sedlacek rushed the offensive zone and put home a backhander.
Aiden Rysen then buried a point shot rebound with more than 11 minutes to play to pull Vernon within one.
The Vipers desperately tried to fire the equalizer, but the Dawson Creek netminder shut the door. Dawson Creek added an empty netter with seconds to play.
Vernon slammed host Quesnel 10-2 in a Sunday morning semifinal, opening the scoring in a tight first period when Rysen put in the rebound off Sedlacek’s point shot. Quesnel tied it before the intermission.
In the second period, Dawson Chase and Nick Cherkowski set up Kayden Bracken for the eventual winner, and the flood gates opened soon after.
Chase, tipping a Keegan McRae point shot, and Rysen, on a feed from Kale Black, had Vernon up 4-1 going into the third period.
Cherkowski and Ethan Joe scored a minute apart early in period three, with further offence coming from Chase (2), Rysen and Damian Coljee-Fehr.
Vernon opened the tourney with a 5-3 win over the Prince George Cougars.
Cherkowski was sent in alone by Joe Eggert to open the scoring with a wrister, gloveside. Tyson Sampert picked up an assist. Eggert extended the lead on a feed from Chase. Sedlacek made it 3-0 on a point shot before the Cougars replied late in period one.
Early in the third frame, Sampert deflected a McRae point shot. The Cougars scored two in a row to cut the lead to one before Sedlacek capped the scoring on bar-down shot.
The Source crew kept rolling Saturday with a 2-1 win over the host Thunder, goals coming from Coljee-Fehr (from Black) and Eric Noren (from Eggert).
Tyler Sedlacek earned the win.
The Sun Valley crew pounded Prince George 8-1 in their second game Saturday to earn a berth in the semis. The Vipers fell behind early in the first on a goal-mouth scramble, but Cherkowski buried a Bracken rebound to even the score.
Singles by Dylan Sedlacek and Eggert put Vernon ahead for good, with other offence coming from Rysen (2), Chase, Mika Burns and Coljee-Fehr. Vernon outshot Prince George 65-11.
In Midget Tier 1 exhibition play, the Vernon Home Building Centre Vipers bowed 4-0 to a California travel team Saturday at Civic Arena.
The Watkin Motors Mustangs bowed 2-1 to the host Kelowna Rockets in Pee Wee Tier 1 play Saturday.
In a fast-paced game, the Rockets took the early lead, but the Mustangs equalized on a nice rush from Brayden McAmmond, who stole the puck from ex-Mustang Tanner Brown and raced in on net. Zach Funk buried the rebound.
Kelowna retook the lead on a shorthanded goal. Vernon pressed late, but could not sneak the tying goal past the Kelowna netminder.
Vernon’s Kobe Grant was stellar in net in his first game back from an injury. Jacob Boden worked hard all game and KT Walters was strong on defence.
The Mustangs are entered in the Darcy Robinson Memorial Tournament this weekend in Kamloops.
The Thompson Okanagan Lakers recorded two wins and a tie in a three-game female Midget Tier 1 set with the Vancouver Island Hurricanes last weekend.
Vernon’s Ali Roine and Makenna Hoffman clicked for the Lakers’ first goal, with Kelowna’s Stephanie Strymecki drawing the other assist, as Vernon started with a 3-0 win.
Strymecki scored twice more, assisted by Andie Kaneda (Vernon), Riley Henderson (West Kelowna), Laine Grace (Vernon) and Jenna Fletcher (Vernon). Emma Gottfriedson (Kamloops) earned the shutout.
The Lakers squeaked out a 3-2 win in the second tilt. With Sydney Carter in net, Thompson Okanagan used offence from Christy Blackburne (Kelowna), assisted by Kaneda, Ts’Setkwu Dunstan (Kamloops), assists to Tylee Cooper (Armstrong) and Mairyn Tucker (Armstrong), and Tucker, assisted by Strymecki.
Blackburne handled the Thompson Okanagan attack in a 1-1 draw Sunday.
Coke boys double Kamloops
Billy Cawthorn earned the win as the Coca-Cola Vipers earned a 4-2 Midget Tier 2 league win over host Kamloops on Sunday.
Landon Munk opened the Vernon scoring with an assist from Jeremy Pogue. The second period saw goals from Logan Imrich and Dex Elders, assists going to Jayden Pedersen, Jarett Campbell and Bryton Stead.
Elders supplied a late empty netter.
Pee Wees fall in Trail
The Nixon Wenger Vipers dropped a pair of Pee Wee Tier 2 games last weekend in Trail.
Aidan Spraggs took the loss in a 10-0 thumping Saturday, and Owen Swiscoski was in net for a 3-0 result Sunday.
Fix Auto crew rolls Cents
Nick Mitchell scored twice as the Vernon Fix Auto Vipers outgunned the host Merritt Centennials 4-1 in Bantam Tier 3 exhibition action Saturday at Nicola Valley Arena.
Gavin Fleck and Bryan Brew supplied singles for the Snakes, who got strong games from d-man Zach Agar and winger Tanner Wright. Merritt’s goalie kept the score from reaching double figures.
