The Vernon Home Building Centre Vipers played to a 1-1 draw against host Kelowna in the teams’ first Okanagan Mainline Hockey Association Midget Tier 1 encounter Friday night.
Vernon came out pressing and scored first on a snipe by Stephane Richard, assists to Braden Gilowski and Logan Imrich. Kelowna answered in the second period, and neither team could gain an advantage after that.
Vipers’ tender Tristan Quiring made numerous great saves in preserving the tie.
In Bantam Rep tournament play Friday, the Vernon Source For Sports Vipers drew Terrace 2-2 in Salmon Arm.
Following two defensive periods (Vernon outshot Terrace 11-8 over 40 minutes), things opened up in the final frame when Damien Coljee-fehr tapped in a rebound from Dawson Chase’s point shot. Nick Cherkowsi had the other assist.
With Vernon trailing 2-1, and with Terrace serving a minor, the Vipers pulled Tyler Sedlechek for a 6-on-4 advantage, and game MVP Cherkowski slid the puck home when Eric Noren redirected an Aiden Rysen pass.
The Watkins Motors Mustangs split their opening tilts of the Kelowna Silky Mitts Tier 1 Tournament Friday.
The ‘Stangs rebounded from a tough 5-4 loss to the Kamloops Blazers in the morning by shading the Prince George Cougars 3-2 that night.
Game MVP Kobe Grant made several spectacular saves for the Mustangs, who peppered the Cougars’ goalie.
Prince George took a 1-0 lead into the second period against the flow of play, but Lochlan O’Keefe, from Lucas Zubrod, tied the game, and Brayden McAmmond finished a nice passing play from O’Keefe for Vernon’s second goal.
Cole Boyarski netted the winner, the assist to Cameron Moger. The defensive tandem of K.T. Walters and Ben Imrich was rock-solid.
Zac Funk opened the scoring against Kamloops by burying the rebound from Trevor Kennedy’s shot. MVP Tysen Fairweather sniped a top-shelf goal on a feed from Zubrod.
With the game tied 4-4 late in the third period, Kamloops notched the winner on a breakaway. Nick Teale and Boyarski had Vernon’s other goals in support of netminder Cayden Hamming.
