Mark Ferner and staff spent about an hour disecting video following a 4-1 victory over the West Kelowna Warriors Friday night.
Ferner will take the win, but realizes his B.C. Hockey League team is a work in progress.
“We were OK at times, good at times and not so good at time,” summed up Ferner, making his debut as head coach in Vernon’s third game of the season. “We kind of hung on in the end and Danny (goalie Todyschuk) played well. We certainly missed our three dee.”
The Vipers brought up Vernon product Matt Halvorson from the Junior B North Okanagan Knights as Johnny Coughlin served a one-game suspension from the pre-season and Luke Shiplo nursed a broken hand suffered in a fight at training camp. Captain Riley Guenther, the Vipers’ Top Defenceman last season, is recovering from a bout of mononucleosis.
The Vipers were also without injured 20-year-old T.J. Dumonceaux (knee) and rookie forward Ayden MacDonald (one-game suspension).
“We definitely need to work on our defensive zone play,” said Ferner. “I thought our second period was real good. Our kids worked hard. I’m not going to complain about our compete level.”
Freshmen accounted for all Vernon’s scoring with Mackenzie Bauer bagging 2+1 and singles going to d-men Ryley Booth and Mitchell Oliver. Bauer, a former Brandon Wheat King Bantam draft out of Three Hills, Alta., jumpstarted the Vipers just 67 seconds after the national anthem.
The Vipers host the Warriors tonight at 6:00 and entertain the Langley Rivermen Sunday at 2 p.m. It’s the only weekend game for the 0-2 Rivermen.
