The Vernon Valley Wood Remanufacturing Vipers rebounded from a winless preliminary round to claim the D Final at the Harvest Cup Atom Rep Hockey Tournament Sunday at Civic Arena.
Jace Weir and Bennett Kuhnlein both scored in a shootout as the Vipers bounced the Kelowna Chiefs 5-4 in the final. Austin Seibel was in net for the shootout, and shared the win with Colten Colmorgen.
The Chiefs built up a 4-1 lead early in the third period, with Erik Pastro, from Cash Anderson and Brady Kuziw, accounting for the Snakes’ offence to that point. After a pep talk from head coach Trevor Seibel, the Vipers collected three goals in a 2:33 span, with Weir supplying a deuce, and Kuhnlein a single. Austin Roest drew an assist.
The Vipers dropped both of their Saturday tilts, falling 4-3 to North Vancouver, and 11-1 to Semiahmoo, who allowed just one goal all tournament. They bounced North Van 6-0 in the A Final.
Vernon came out flying against North Vancouver, using an aggressive forecheck and strong defensive play to keep their opponent at bay. However, North Van capitalized on their limited chances, and the Vipers found themselves down 3-0.
Seibel came on in relief of Colmorgen with five minutes left in the second period, recording a sweet pad save in the final minute. The Vipers’ Braeden Schmiegelt quickly moved the puck up ice to Kuhnlein, who buried the 3-1 goal.
Kuhnlein, with his second, and Pastro, with a single, completed the offence. Schmiegelt, Liam Leibel, Brock Holliday and Roest added assists.
Weir, unassisted, handled Vernon’s attack against Semiahmoo, who opened the flood gates when the Vipers began to tire in the second period.
In the B Final, the Coquitlam Chiefs clipped the Kamloops Ice Hawks 3-2, and in the C Final, the West Kelowna Warriors outgunned the Kelowna Rockets 6-5.
In Midget Tier 1 play, the Home Building Centre Vipers lost both ends of a weekend set with the Prince George Cougars, falling 5-3 and 3-2.
Vernon spotted the Cats a two-goal lead Saturday before Zach Manton got the hosts onboard with a powerplay goal, assists to Bryce Pyle and Stephane Richard. Prince George scored three more goals by the 13-minute mark of the second period, but the Vipers fought back with a goal from Richard, assisted by Connor Johnston and Pyle.
Johnston, assisted by Cameron Hitch, completed the offence.
The Cougars jumped out to another two-goal lead Sunday, and Manton again opened Vernon’s account, this time assisted by Pyle.
The Vipers pulled even on a snipe by Pyle, assists to Richard and Johnston, but Prince George fired the winner on the powerplay.
Coke boys bag bronze
The Coca Cola Vipers went 2-2 in securing Midget Tier 2 tournament bronze last weekend in Winfield.
Landon Munk rattled off four goals as Vernon thumped Everett 6-2 in the third-place game, singles from Jarett Campbell and Brian Ferguson.
Easton Jones and Jayden Pedersen recorded three helpers each in support of netminder Billy Cawthorn.
Campbell scored in the third period, from Austin Derkach, as Vernon opened the tourney with a 3-1 defeat to Kelowna. Conor Webb took the loss.
The Coke boys bowed 4-3 to Smithers Saturday morning, goals coming from Jeremy Pogue, Campbell and Julian Darkazanli. Assists went to Dex Elders, Brighton Stead, Ferguson and Derkach. Cawthorn was in net.
Vernon rebounded Saturday night by toppling Castlegar 5-2 on a pair by Ferguson and solid netminding by Webb.
Adding to the offence were Derkach, Pogue and Jones, who chipped in with two assists. Munk, Harvey Pawsey, Pedersen, Campbell and Darkazanli contributed single assists.
Kamloops shades Source
The Sun Valley Source For Sports Vipers fell 4-3 to Kamloops in an entertaining Bantam Tier 1 league battle Sunday afternoon.
Tyler Sedlacek and Brendan Forman played well in sharing the crease.
Trailing 2-0 late in the second period, the Vipers replied on a Damian Coljee-Fehr snipe, aided my some good puck movement around the net from Aidan Rysen and Kael Black. A minute later, Eric Noren blocked a shot at his blueline and raced up ice. He threaded a pass to a trailing Joe Eggert, who ripped a wrister, high gloveside.
Kamloops retook the lead early in the third frame, but Vernon came right back when Nick Cherkowski took a pass from Dylan Sedlacek and fed Dawson Chase, who scored from the high slot.
Kamloops regained the lead for good midway through the frame, and fended off a late flurry by the Vipers.
Storm rolls past Fix Auto
The Fix Auto Vipers bowed 11-6 to the South Okanagan Storm in Bantam Tier 3 play Sunday afternoon in Oliver.
Nick Mitchell (2), Luc Halvorson, Lincoln Connor, Dayton Bryan and Tanner Wright scored for the Vipers, who got two assists apiece from d-men Brett Zbytnuik and Zayne Hanke. Dalton Stenberg went the distance in net, making numerous big stops and giving up one penalty shot snipe.
The Vipers lost 8-1 to the Kelowna Tier 2 Rockets Saturday night at Civic Arena with Wright going top shelf early in the first period. It was 1-1 at the ice clean with Dylan Blazek brilliant in the Vernon net. Blazek allowed five goals on about 50 shots in 50 minutes before giving way to Stenberg.
Mustangs feel the Heat
The Watkin Motors Mustangs dropped a tough 6-5 loss to the Abbotsford Heat to wrap up round-robin play at the Darcy Robinson Memorial Pee Wee Tier 1 Tournament in Kamloops.
Trevor Kennedy led the team with a hat trick, singles going to Cole Boyarski and Steel Quiring. Cam Moger, Lochlan O’Keefe, Ben Imrich and Nick Teale picked up assists.
Vernon coach Dean McAmmond was pleased with the total team effort. Goalies Kobe Grant and Cayden Hamming were solid all tournament long.
In Saturday action, the Mustangs snuck past the Prince George Cougars 3-1, with Teale firing the opening goal.
Early in the third, the Mustangs took the lead for good on a goal by Quiring. Lucas Zubrod iced the game late in the third. Boyarski chipped in with a couple of assists.
Teale (4+4) and Boyarski (3+2) and Kennedy (2G) put on a stats clinic as Vernon trounced Ridge Meadows 11-6 in the late game Saturday.
D-man Imrich opened the scoring and K.T. Walters finished it. O’Keefe supplied one assist and Tysen Fairwether had two.
