Defenceman Griffen Barr picked a great time to score his first B.C. Hockey League goal.
The Nanaimo native scored unassisted at 3:40 of overtime to give the Vernon Vipers a 6-5 win over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in B.C. Hockey League pod action Wednesday afternoon, April 7, at Kal Tire Place.
Barr drove the net and put his own rebound past Salmon Arm goalie Liam Vanderkooi for the game-winner.
The victory came after Vernon squandered a 5-1, third-period lead with 15 minutes to go.
The Vipers are 3-0 in the pod season, the Silverbacks drop to 0-2-1-0.
Salmon Arm opened the scoring with Daniel Panetta scoring his first of three goals on the afternoon at 14:18 of the opening period. Panetta took over the team goal-scoring lead with his trifecta.
Vernon scored the next five goals, including four in a 5:23 stretch midway through the second period, courtesy of Nicholas Remissong (1st), Cameron MacDonald (3rd), Kjell Kjemhus (1st) and Reagan Milburn (1st).
Ryan Shostak (2nd) made it 5-1 Snakes 4:07 into the third frame.
Cue the Salmon Arm comeback.
Noah Serdachny and Panetta scored powerplay goals less than three minutes apart to cut the lead to 5-3. Panetta got his hat trick goal at 11:37, and Serdachny forced overtime with a goal past Vernon netminder James Porter Jr. at 19:05.
Porter Jr. made 24 saves as he improved to 3-0. Vanderkooi made 30 stops in his 2021 debut for Salmon Arm.
The two teams will meet again Saturday, April 10, at 6 p.m.
Salmon Arm plays the West Kelowna Warriors Thursday, April 8 (1 p.m.) while the Vipers face the Warriors Friday at 1 p.m.
No fans are allowed in the pod.
READ MORE: Vernon Vipers slither past West Kelowna
READ MORE: WATCH: Salmon Arm Silverbacks drop POD Season opener to Vernon
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