The Watkin Motors Vipers spotted the host Kamloops Blazers a goal off the opening faceoff and took over from there, jumpstarting the Darcy Robinson Memorial Pee Wee Tier 1 hockey tournament with a 5-1 win at MacArthur Island Arena.
Vernon used two goals from Eric Noren and singles from Ben King, Rowan Miller and Lucas Zubrod to pull out the win.
Cole Boyarski supplied Vernon’s lone snipe as the fatigued Vipers then fell 6-1 to St. Albert in their second tilt of the day.
Meanwhile, Coleton Bilodeau collected the winner as the Five Star Awards Vipers opened a Bantam Tier 2 tourney Friday in Kelowna with a 3-2 win over West Kelowna.
Vernon scored first on a powerplay goal by Matt Kowalski, assisted by Reed Cashato, with 38 seconds left in period one.
The Vipers dominated the offensive zone, but West Kelowna was strong on loose pucks in the slot and managed to keep Vernon to the outside.
In the second frame, West Kelowna won a draw in Vernon’s zone and equalized on a redirection. Jason Shaigec restored Vernon’s lead before the break, assisted by Bilodeau and Grady Caton. Kieran Watts picked up the win.
It took half a period for the North Okanagan Knights’ offence to get warmed up, but once it did, they rolled to a 16-1 win over host Kamloops in Pee Wee Tier 4 hockey league play Friday night.
Eli Dwyer, Griffin Evans (from Kevin Thomas Walters), Ryan Desilets (from Easton Hunter), Alex Gilowski (from Kord Haller) and Hunter (from Bryan Brew and Wesley Graves) handled the first-period scoring.
Another five goals followed in the second frame, with Graves netting a hat trick, Walters with a single, and Gilowski pocketing his second. Assists went to Brew (2), Dylan Huber, Gilowski and Walters.
The third-period offence was supplied by Dwyer (3) and Walters, Desilets and Evans, each with their second goal of the game. Thomas Burton earned the win.
Lee Brodoway and Liam Curran each scored twice as the Vernon Authentic Trophies & Plaques Hawks grounded the Winfield Bruins 7-4 in North Okanagan Midget Super League action Friday night at Kal Tire Place.
Brodoway, who had one assist, scored the Hawks’ final goal on a 150-foot slapshot while penalty killing late in the third period. Jene Desjarlais, Josh Lerbeck and Kristian Currie supplied singles for Vernon, who got stellar goaltending from Jared Larsen and Rowan Wood. Brock Wagner pocketed two helpers.
Ryan Geiger (2), Glenford Downey and Evan Farkas replied for the Bruins in the season opener for both teams.
