Morning Star Staff
The Vernon Watkins Motors Mustangs opened the New Year with a clutch 5-5 draw against the Kelowna Rockets Sunday afternoon at Civic Arena.
Dean McAmmond’s Vipers are now 2-7-3, while Kelowna is 6-4-2 in the Okanagan Mainline Pee Wee Tier 1 Hockey Association.
Vernon opened up the scoring 8:41 into the first period when Corbin Hansen buried the puck from in tight with the assists going to linemates Nick Teale and Trevor Kennedy.
The Mustangs carried the play in the first but Kelowna notched the only other goal to knot things at 1-1 after 20 minutes.
Both teams scored a pair of goals in the next two periods in a penalty-filled affair. Kennedy from Ben Imrich, and Corbin’s second, from Teale, tied it 3-3.
In the final frame, Vernon’s Tysen Fairweather scored from Cam Moger, while Teale sniped the Mustangs’ final goal unassisted.
Goaltending duties were split between Kobe Grant and Cayden Hamming. The Mustangs were to travel to Prince George this weekend for a tournament but it was cancelled so they play Saturday in Kamloops versus the Blazers.
In Midget Tier 1 action, the Vernon Home Building Center Vipers bowed 3-2 to the Kelowna Fripps Warehouse Rockets in Midget Tier 1 action Saturday morning at Civic Arena.
Kelowna got a quick start with a goal in the first three minutes, but the Vipers equalized in the second period with Zach Manton scoring on a nice point shot from Cam Hitch and Reed Cashato.
Carl Main scored from Gage Kopp to give the Vipers the lead before Kelowna levelled the score at 2-2.
The two teams fought back and forth until the winner was finally scored by Kelowna on the power play with 2:35 left. Tristan Quiring faced 42 shots in the Vernon net, making a number of great saves.
The Coca-Cola Tier 2 Midgets lost 2-0 to the Semiahmoo Totems of White Rock Saturday in the West Kelowna Tournament.
Viper goalie Conor Webb took Best Defensive Player, while Brian Ferguson took MVP Best All Round Player. Sunday’s final game against Oceanside was cancelled due to inclement weather.
The Coke squad had earlier lost to Calgary and West Kelowna.
