The Vernon Home Building Centre Midget Tier 1 Vipers were hoping to take a few days off and rest some injured players.
Instead, the Vipers were emergency replacements for the stranded Burlington Eagles of Ontario in the 35th Kelowna Daily Courier Elite Midget Hockey Tournament.
Rob Spraggs’ crew lost 7-1 to the Prince George Cougars Wednesday and bowed 3-2 to Okanagan Hockey Academy Red Thursday morning in Rutland. The Vipers faced the Okanagan Rockets Thursday night.
Mitch Lukacs, assisted by Jacob Dolinar and Carson Richards, had Vernon’s goal versus the Cougars.
Jeff Bochon, from Tier 2 call-up Eammon Miller, and Dolinar, from Layne Greene, supplied goals against OHA. Lukacs left the game with a possible separated shoulder.
Vernon is without captain Griffen Fried (dislocated elbow), and leading scorers Jagger Williamson (concussion) and Cole Woodliffe (groin strain).
Meanwhile, the Irly Bird Building Centre and R.J. Schunter Contracting Stars stopped the North Okanagan Knights 6-3 in Midget Super League play Sunday in Lumby.
Kyle Weston opened the Stars’ offence with assists going to Cody Bauml and Reid Hackett. Weston converted again, with 42 seconds left in the period, Logan Meier assisting.
Levi Power countered for the Knights, but the Stars answered two minutes later when Ryan Fair clicked, from Kyle Beerstra and Chandler Porteous.
Byron Frances scored for the Knights before Lumby answered with a Zach Kuperus snipe, assisted by Jayden Pedersen.
The third period saw North Okanagan’s Caleb Fox score before Meier and Beerstra counted Lumby goals. Jacob Holland was incredible in net for the second-place Stars (8-4), who host a five-team tournament this weekend.
The Talon Benefits Winterhawks opened the new year by upsetting Blackburn Excavating of Salmon Arm 5-1 and falling 9-4 to the league-leading Nedco Coyotes.
Brennan Seltzer intercepted a Salmon Arm pass in the offensive zone and then went low, stick side on a breakaway, to jumpstart the scoring.
The line of Seltzer, Brian Ferguson and Parker Wadsworth kept pressing and Wadsworth pounced on a loose puck and slid it home for a 2-0 lead.
The ever-improving Martin Grenier picked off a Salmon Arm dee-to-dee pass to skate coast-to-coast before slamming the puck in the net.
Bryton Stead converted on a wrap-around before the 7-5 Shuswap crew finally beat Hawks’ netminder Colton Annis. Ferguson sniped a shot roof-daddy, the assist going to captain Rowyn Lewis-Hatherley.
Winterhawks’ coach Curtis Petersen was impressed with the total team effort as the defence of Leland Riguedell, Tyler Yule, Layk Petersen and Darnell Hauca worked hard to keep Salmon Arm on the outside. Corey Lehoux and Annis were stellar with Lehoux earning a first-half shutout.
Aaron Keryluke pulled the hat trick as the Coyotes (12-0-1) stuffed the Winterhawks 9-4 Saturday night at Civic.
Adam Roemer, Brett Lambert, Jeremy Pogue, Cole Bradley, Brett Shaigec and Nik Wasylyk had the other Coyote snipes.
D-man Tyler Yule, Richard Thompson, Ferguson and Stead replied for the Hawks (3-8-4).
The Coyotes brushed back the Vernon Authentic Trophy & Plaque Autobots 4-3 Sunday night at Priest Valley Arena.
Austin Derkach (2), Keryluke and Shaigec supplied goals for Nedco, who got two assists from Wasylyk.
Jene Desjarlais, Kristian Currie and Brock Wagner, with a shorthanded tally with 1:42 left, answered for the Autobots (4-5-3).
Birthday boy Wagner and goalie-turned-forward Rowan Wood each scored four times as the visiting Autobots gonged the winless Winfield Bruins 10-0 Saturday.
Dominic Loosli and Max Mitchell added singles in front of Jared Larsen. Isaiah Wenger and Desjarlais each pocketed a pair of helpers.
The third-place Seed Orchard Snakes got two goals from Chris Gallant in a 7-1 bouncing of the host Bruins Sunday.
Landon Munk, Ryan Buick, Nikolai Negraiff, Adam Fenske and Liam Semeniuk provided singles in front of Billy Cawthorn. The Snakes are 7-3-1.
