Two quick third-period goals gave the Vernon Home Building Centre Vipers a 4-2 win over the Kamloops Jardine’s Blazers Sunday at Civic Arena.
The victory topped off a great weekend for the 3-5-3 Midget Tier 1 Vipers, who clipped the Okanagan Hockey Academy Canucks Saturday 2-1 at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton.
Richard Meaney’s top-shelf marker in the final frame was his second of the game and stood up as the winning goal against 1-3-4 Kamloops, with assists going to Justin Mitchell and Austin Garrington. Defenceman Conor Payne’s powerplay marker 16 seconds later, from Dennon Leibel and Patrick Dove, provided insurance in the penalty-filled contest.
Captain Austin Krahn snuck in from the point on the powerplay to give the Vipers the lead in the first, from Trevor Pickett and Dove. After Kamloops equalized, Meaney deposited a loose puck to give Vernon the lead once again, from Leibel and Curtis Sexsmith, before the Blazers tied it up 2-2 going into the last period.
The Vipers took 49 shots on the Kamloops goaltender while call-up Rodger Sewell secured the victory for Vernon with a solid goaltending display, including stopping one Kamloops breakaway with a perfect poke check and several big saves in the late going.
Call-up goalie Bruin Stair also played very well Saturday in Penticton versus 3-2-1 OHA.
Pickett, from Dove and Leibel, broke open a scoreless game in the second period before the home team tied it up on a powerplay before the middle frame ended.
Payne’s blast from the point in the third period hit the post and went in to stand up as the winner. Cody Hendrickson and Braydon Sophonow got the assists.
Vernon entertains the first-place Kelowna Fripps Warehouse Rockets Friday at 6:15 p.m. (Wesbild) and then face OHA Sunday at 4:45 p.m. (Civic Arena).
Vernon’s Harlan Orr supplied 3+3 as the Okanagan Rockets iced the Fraser Valley Bruins 8-4 Sunday in B.C. Major Midget League play at the Capital News Centre.
Orr set up Parker Bowles’ goal Saturday in the Rockets’ 4-1 loss to the Bruins. The Rockets are sixth in the 11-team loop at 8-7-5, three points up on the Bruins.
The Vernon Sun Valley Source For Sports Renegades lost 5-4 to the host Lethbridge Golden Hawks in Bantam AAA hockey tournament action Saturday morning.
Blaine Caton was player of the game. Louis Springer and Bryce Dyck shared goaltending duties.
Later in the afternoon, the Renegades defeated the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers 4-2. Carson Richards and Jordan Rea (2G) were co-players of the game. Dyck had a strong game in net.
In the final game of the tournament, the Renegades bowed 2-0 to the Winnipeg Sharks, who netted the winner at 15:00 of the third and added an empty netter with a minute to play.
Dyck, who made several superbsaves, was player of the game.
The Coca-Cola Vipers fell 4-2 to the Trail Smoke Eaters in exhibition Midget Tier 2 play Sunday morning at the Wesbild Centre.
The Vipers came out a little flat and were down 2-0 after the first period. They climbed back on a goal by Chad Thomas, assisted by Carson Tucker and Jacob Dolinar.
While the Vipers carried most of the play in the second half, the Smokies managed to find a loose puck and make it 3-1 to end the second period.
The Vipers came out flying in the third and spent most of the period in the Smokies end, but could only get as close as 3-2 on a powerplay goal by Dolinar, with helpers going to Thomas and Tucker. Despite the loss, the Vipers rallied together and spent the afternoon on a food drive to help the local food bank.
Machine Vipers win
The Vernon Machine Vipers clipped the host Revelstoke Grizzlies 4-3 Saturday in Bantam Tier 3 play at the Forum.
Michael LeNoury scored the first goal assisted by Brian Ferguson and Colton Skead. Vernon went up 2-0 when Bryton Stead converted from Michael Lenoury and Austin Dixon while playing 4-on-4.
Revelstoke scored their first goal while playing 5-on-3. In the third period, Gabe Turner scored from Ferguson and Donte Nowell.
Ferguson registered his third point of the game when he scored the fourth goal on a pass from Nowell. Revelstoke called a timeout when the Vipers had a penalty and then pulled their goalie for the extra attacker and got their second goal just before the penalty ended. They pulled within one with 83 seconds left and pressed hard.
The Fix Auto Pee Wee Tier 3 Predators won their second consecutive tournament with a thrilling 4-3 win over Merritt Sunday at Penticton Memorial Arena.
Newly selected captain Joe Eggert picked up a pair of goals, while singles went to Dex Elders and Stephane Richards.
“What an exciting finish to a hard-fought weekend of hockey,” said Preds’ head coach Linc Dougan. “The team played so well in making unselfish plays and finishing their checks. They proved to me just how far they’ve come…picking up consecutive gold medals in tournament play is very special, something these players will never forget.”
The Preds opened the tourney Friday night with an 8-1 stuffing of South Okanagan. Braeden Barnard played solid in net and CJ Storey supplied four goals and game MVP. Eggert (2), Elders and Lucas Halvorson sniped singles.
The Preds steamrolled Spokane 6-0 with Ethan Huizinga going the distance in net and solid defence coming from Aidan Rysen and game MVP Noah Deblinhard. Storey, Caden Bracken, Eggert, Mika Burns, Drayden Dougan and Richards scored.
Vernon then bowed 7-0 to Kamloops (MVP Braeden Jones) before rebounding with an 8-5 semifinal victory over Penticton.
Richards opened the scoring in the first while a pair from Eggert and Mason McLennan’s redirection from Drayden Harshenin closed the second period. Stellar defence was turned in by Juli Gilowski (3A), while MVP Jordan Campagnolo scored on a blast from the point. Dougan and Bracken also scored.
In other Pee Wee Tier 3 play, the Nixon Wenger Jets upset powerhouse Kelowna 4-2 Sunday at Wesbild.
Coleton Bilodeau started the Jets’ offence on their first shot, assisted by Sherwood and Jaxson Cummings. The momentum quickly shifted in Kelowna’s favour as they carried the play through two periods.
Great penalty killing and solid goaltending by Jayden Jensen Hunter (31 saves) by the Jets kept it 1-1 entering the third.
The Jets played some solid 5-on-5 play and notched three goals in three minutes on only four shots to take a commanding 4-1 lead. Boyce notched a pair and Bridge added a goal.
Cherkowski, who finished with three helpers, and McCune helped set up the goals.
Never out of the game, Kelowna battled hard and scored once late in the third as the Jets held on despite being outshot 33-14.
The Jets bowed 4-3 to the Winfield Bruins. The Jets were within a goal until Dawson Boyce notched the equalizer shorthanded late in the second on sweet feed by Nick Cherkowski.
The Jets were unable to push ahead and Winfield scored the winning goal late in the third on a breakaway. Zach Agar opened Jets’ scoring with assists from Liam Hennig and Keaton McCune. Josh Bridge also scored shorthanded, on a nice set up from Kyle Sherwood.
Venom fall to Westside
In Senior Atom Development action, the Vernon Valley Wood Venom blew leads of 4-0 and 5-2 in losing 7-5 to the Westside Warriors Saturday at Royal Lepage Place.
The Venom stormed out to a 4-0 lead on two goals by Braden Beacom and singles by Gavin Fleck and Evan Trottier. Assists went to Caden Danbrook, Trottier, Cory Lazar, Lincoln Connor, Landen Harison and Cameron Moger.
Westside picked up their play and drew within a deuce before Danbrook made it 5-2 on a rebound from Lazar’s point shot. Westside kept pressing and the Venom stopped skating and got away from their team game which allowed the Warriors to score five unanswered goals with the last into an empty net.
In Sunday afternoon action, the Venom bowed 6-2 to visiting Penticton Game Time Sports with Danbrook scoring both goals.
The North Okanagan Knights outlasted the Salmon Arm Silvertips 7-6 in other Senior Atom play at Nor-Val Sports Centre in Armstrong.
Nick Walker (2), Trevor Kennedy, with the winner, Bryan Brew, Kord Haller, Brett Zbytnuik and Mitchell Brown handled the Knights’ offence. Brew bagged two assists. Easton Hunter and Caedon Bellmann had exceptional games in net for the Knights.
