Morning Star Staff
The Vernon Fix Auto Vipers finished fifth in their eight-team home Bantam Tier 3 hockey tournament, clipping the Kamloops Lions 4-3 in consolation play Sunday morning at Priest Valley Arena.
Kaden Doughty supplied a deuce, while Zack Laranjo and Jacob Brewer netted singles.
The Vipers lost 7-6 to the Kitimat Winterhawks their final round-robin game Saturday afternoon at Civic Arena. Vernon just missed a spot in the semifinals at 1-2.
Lucas Zubrod and Laranjo each counted two goals, while Brewer and Kael Black registered singles. Cory Lazar earned three assists and Mason Robinson had a pair of helpers.
Goaltending duties were split between Jordan Foster and Aidan Spraggs. The Vipers are coached by Keith Green, who turned 49 Monday. Reports say the fire department was called to extinguish the candles on the birthday cake.
The Kelowna Rockets bounced the Winfiield Bruins 5-2 in Sunday’s final.
The Vernon Home Hardware Centre Vipers swept the Okanagan Hockey School Varsity Canucks 8-1 and 5-2 in Midget Rep exhibition play at in Penticton.
Eight Vipers converted in the opener with Grady Caton, Jason Shaigec, Reed Cashato, Stephane Richard, Dylan Sedlacek, Dex Elders, Kyle Sherwood and Brady Marzocco supporting Conor Webb, who had little action. Logan Imrich had two helpers.
The Canucks took a 2-1 lead late into the third period Sunday before Vernon tied it and put it away with three unanswered goals in a 4-2 win.
Vernon plays the California Wave Friday night and then takes on the league-leading Penticton Vees Saturday night. Both games are at the Civic.
The Sun Valley Source for Sports Bantam Vipers improved to 12-1 in league play with a pair of wins at Kal Tire place.
Nic Teale, Corbin Hanson, Nic Bolin and Lee Christensen handled the offence as Sun Valley doubled the Salmon Arm Silvertips 4-2 Sunday. Tyler Sedlacek went the distance in net.
Vernon toppled the West Kelowna Grizzlies Friday night with Hanson pulling the hat trick.
The Bantam Vipers will seek their third straight tournament title starting Friday in West Kelowna.
Mustangs gain weekend split
In Pee Wee Tier 2 play, the Watkin Motors Mustangs split a pair of league tilts, doubling Kamloops 8-4 Saturday at Civic before falling 5-3 to host Penticton in a Sunday matinee.
Steel Quiring and Jarred Feist each connected twice for the Mustangs in the win. Singles came from Porter Trevelyan, Ronan Chauhan, Austin Roest and Isaac Thomas. Jakob Jones provided two helpers with Teja Sheldrake in net.
Zac Funk, Trevelyan and Feist produced goals in Penticton with Cayden Hamming taking the loss, Vernon’s first in league play.
The Nixon Wenger Tier 3 Pee Wee Vipers battled Kelowna to a 1-1 tie in a defensive gem Saturday at Priest Valley Arena and then bowed 4-2 to Kamloops Sunday at Civic.
Brayden Schmeigelt was stellar in net and the defensive core of Gage Stoll, Fraser O’Brien and Damien Glover stymied the Kelowna offence all game.
Tyler Burke flashed some quick hands in the paint to convert a Jayden Veit feed for Nixon Wenger’s snipe.
In Sunday’s game, Vernon started fast with John Spraggs burying a slapshot after an excellent pass from Stoll.
Kamloops went ahead in the second with a couple quick goals late in the period. Bennett Kuhnlein levelled the score early in the third but a depleted Viper defence ran out of gas.
The H&L Glass Atom C Vipers C team came from behind to edge the Revelstoke Grizzlies 4-3 in yet another thriller between the two teams.
The Vipers, who previously won the season series opener with seconds left and then took a shootout victory after a scoreless regulation, got the winner this time when Maguire Nicholson completed a one-timer on a gorgeous feed from Hudson Kibblewhite.
Nicholson finished with a deuce. Charlie Swartz scored his second of the game to even the score at 3-3. H&L goalie Matthew Kuhnlein made the comeback possible by shutting the door on Revelstoke.
