Carl Main supplied Vernon’s offence as the Home Building Centre Vipers opened their Midget Tier 1 hockey tournament with a 4-1 loss to the Richmond Blues Friday night at Civic Arena.
Vernon continued the eight-team tourney against the Bow Valley Flames of Alberta Saturday morning and took on the Coquitlam Chiefs that night.
In other opening-night action, the North Kamloops Lions pounced on the Salmon Arm Silvertips 8-3, North Shore Winter Club Winterhawks doubled the Vancouver Thunderbirds 6-3, and Bow Valley thrashed Coquitlam 9-2.
In Bantam Tier 1 tournament play Friday in Penticton, the Sun Valley Source For Sports Vipers bowed 3-1 to Calgary.
Vernon trailed by a goal after one period, but Eric Noren fired home a great pass from Joe Eggert to tie it just before the mid-game flood.
The teams traded chances in very tight game, but the Snakes found themselves down 2-1 heading into the third frame. The Vipers rolled three strong lines and matched up well against their Alberta rivals, but could not put another puck past the steady Calgary netminder.
Vernon’s Dylan Sedlacek earned game MVP for his strong play on the blueline, while his brother Tyler stood tall in making 28 saves.
The Vipers faced Port Coquitlam early Saturday.
The Vernon Fix Auto Vipers went 1-1 Friday at the Winfield Bruins Bantam Rep Hockey Tournament.
Nick Mitchell pulled the hat trick as the Vipers stopped the Kelowna Rockets 7-1 Friday afternoon.
Lincoln Connor (2), Griffin Evans and Lucas Wood also scored for the Vipers, whose MVP was d-man Ethan Joe with two assists.
Blueliner Dayton Bryan pocketed three assists and Bryan Brew added two for Vernon, who had Dylan Blazek in net.
The Vipers bowed 7-1 to the host Bruins Friday morning with Mitchell scoring from in tight, assists going to Brew and Zach Agar. Mitchell took game MVP with goalie Dalton Stenberg stellar with 28 saves.
In Bantam Super League action, the Five Star Awards Coyotes grounded DCT Chambers Cougars 6-3.
Reid Lawrence, from d-man Tanner Franje-Gilbert and Chapperon Chillihitzia, supplied the first Coyote snipe, while Taryn Best replied unassisted for DCT.
D-man Elias Wery converted a nice rush to give the Coyotes a 2-1 lead after two periods. Nicholas Maglio was stellar in the first half for the Coyotes, allowing only one goal.
The Coyotes came out howling in the third period and rang up four straight goals: Lawrence on a solo snipe; Wery, assisted by Lawrence; blueliner Jadon Foster, unassisted, and Franje-Gilbert, assisted by Keenon Jaberg and Talon Williams.
The Cougars replied with late goals from Kayden Doughty, assisted by Taryn Best, and a beauty roof job by Zachary Laranjo, unassisted.
Jordan Foster of the Coyotes made some phenomenal saves after the midway ice clean.
