Morning Star Staff
Vernon Vipers defenceman Michael Ufberg has been named the B.C. Hockey League Player of the Week.
Ufberg rang up four points, including his first two goals of the season, as the Snakes split two weekend games. The 20-year-old Philadelphia product scored the second goal in the first period as the Vipers jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Surrey Eagles before losing 5-4.
He followed that up on Sunday with a goal and two assists Vernon’s 9-0 win over the Trail Smoke Eaters. He was named the second star in both games.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder now has 11 points in 16 games in his second BCHL season, good enough for a tie for fifth in league-scoring among defencemen and one ahead of fellow Viper blueliners Jack Judson and Michael Young.
Vernon is tied for first in the Interior Division with the West Kelowna Warriors and also tied for the league lead with the Warriors and the Langley Rivermen with 22 points. Ufberg is committed to the NCAA Division 1 Princeton Tigers for the 2018-19 season.
The Vipers entertain the Wenatchee Wild tonight and then host West Kelowna Saturday night at 6.
Wenatchee skated away from the South Okanagan Events Centre Wednesday with a 3-2 double overtime victory over the Penticton Vees.
After collecting a loose puck in front of Vees goalie Adam Scheel, Jasper Weatherby faked going one way around the net, and returning in his original direction to beat Scheel and silence the crowd of 3,108 for the win. Scheel was named the second star after stopping 36 shots.
“To lose the game like that is not a good feeling,” said Vees forward Dakota Boutin, who scored the 2-2 equalizer at 5:32 of the third period. “We came out a little slow but I felt we played well throughout the whole game. Just one bad lucky break and it’s in the net.” The Wild outshot the Vees 15-5 in the second period and took a 2-1 lead into the intermission.
The Vees opened the scoring when Owen Sillinger, the game’s third star, capitalized on a turnover near centre ice while killing a five-minute major to Cassidy Bowes. The co-captain motored into the Wild zone and beat Austin Park with a deke. The Wild countered with their own short handed tally at 18:18 when August Von Ungern was able to handle the puck near centre ice after it hopped over the stick of a Vees player.
Once in on Scheel, Von Ungern tucked a back under the goalie’s glove. Less than a minute later, the Wild took a lead on Murphy Stratton’s third of the season. He was able to deflect a Slava Demin shot.
The Wild was given the chance to blow the game open when Bowes received major penalty for kneeing and game misconduct. During that same power play, Nicky Leivermann was given a two-minute minor for high sticking. The Vees penalty skill was strong not giving the Wild many opportunities while down two men for two minutes.
The opening period was scoreless with the Wild edging the Vees in shots 12-11. Jonny Tychonick was named the FortisBC Energy Player of the Game.
The Wild went 0-for-6 on their power play, while the Vees were 1-for-6. The loss drops the Vees to 9-2-0-2 and the Wild are now 10-5-0-1.
