The Valley Wood Vipers shelled the West Kelowna Warriors 12-4 in Senior A Atom Development hockey play Saturday at Jim Lind Arena.
Game MVP Bennett Kuhnlein opened the scoring by going roof daddy. Jacob Boden and Steel Quiring, both from Austin Roest, netted goals but Vernon was down 4-3 midway through the second.
The frustrated Vipers ended up taking a major penalty, but defencemen Connor Elliott, Isaac Thomas, Owen Palfreyman and Jace Weir were outstanding on the penalty kill which helped Porter Trevelyan and roadrunner Jakob Jones pocket shorthanded snipes.
The Valley Wood boys exploded for seven third-period goals as Boden and Quiring each finished with hat tricks, Trevelyan a deuce and Roest and Zackary Funk each with singles.
A late goal by John Spraggs lifted the H&L Glass Vipers to a 4-4 tie with the undefeated Merritt Fountain Tire Centennials in Atom Development C play Saturday at Kal Tire Place.
The Cents caught a bounce to go up early, but Cash Anderson levelled the score before the period was out. Intercepting a dee-to-dee pass at his own line, Anderson broke away and bewildered the goalie with lightning-quick moves before cashing in on his backhand.
In the second, cool-headed d-man Tyler Burke saved a goal, showing incredible hand-eye skills as he batted the puck away from the open Vernon net. Minutes later, netminder Jaret Cooper robbed Merritt of another sure goal, stacking his pads and then snaring the second chance with his trapper.
Vernon counted a last-minute marker as Burke’s half-slapper from the left point deflected five-hole to give the Vipers a 2-1 lead on the powerplay.
After Merritt equalized early in the third, the Vipers pulled ahead again at 12:33 when Quinn Soon ripped a point shot through traffic, and Chris Bond chipped the rebound over the keeper’s right pad.
The Cents then grabbed control of the seesaw contest with two quick strikes. Down 4-3 with five to go, Burke cleared the puck to the shifty Spraggs who dangled through the defence. Spraggs handcuffed the Merritt netminder with a heavy wrister off the right wing.
H&L got some clutch penalty killing late by Anderson, Bond, Soon and Emma Elders. With 10 seconds left, Cooper delivered a game-saver, kicking out the right pad for his 26th stop.
