Fabulous goaltending, a few heavy hits, lots of chirping and some heated scrums after the whistle.
It’s official: the Vernon Vipers and Merritt Centennials are in full playoff mode and have discovered they really don’t like one another.
All-planet disturbance specialist Riley Brandt led the Viper hit parade as they shaded the Cents 2-1 and 3-2 to take an early lead in the best-of-seven B.C. Hockey League Interior Division semifinal playoff series.
“Just gotta play playoff hockey,” said Brandt, moments after the 2-1 victory Wednesday night before 1,338 fans at Kal Tire Place. “You gotta get under their skin and so far it’s worked so I gotta keep doing that. They don’t like me too much. I’ve heard all the chirps and I’ve been called just about everything in the dictionary.”
The Vipers outshot the Cents 41-19 Wednesday night but couldn’t solve net detective Jonah Imoo, voted first star. The shots were almost even Tuesday night as Anthony Latina scored 3:28 into sudden-death overtime in front of 1,260 fans.
Games 3 and 4 are set for Friday and Saturday night at the Nicola Valley Arena in Merritt. A fifth game, if required, goes Monday night in Vernon.
“We’ll stick to our same game-plan and we won’t have any troubles,” said Brandt of the switch to the tiny ice surface in Merritt. “We’re a good group together, we’re physical and we gotta keep playing with that effort and urgency and we’ll be successful.”
Imoo flashed leather to stone Mackenzie Bauer midway through the first period after an errant pass right in front for his finest save. Jarrod Schamerhorn made 18 stops, including a handful of game-savers, for the win. He relieved an injured Danny Todoyschuk late in Game 1.
“He (Schamerhorn) definitely stood on his head again,” said Brandt. “It’s tough to see Danny go down, but we’ve always got Schammy right there again. It’s great to have those two goalies. Hopefully, Danny’s back soon but Schammy can keep kicking for us.”
Mitch Profeit of the KIJHL North Okanagan Knights served as the Vipers’ back-up Wednesday with Todosychuk nursing a leg injury.
Merritt captain Sam Johnson marvelled at Imoo’s performance.
“He’s phenomenal,” said Johnson. “He’s been doing that all year for us. That game (clutch win last Friday) in Salmon Arm set in stone how big a part of the team he is for us. In these two games, he’s been a big reason why we had a chance. We need to put some pucks in the net for him and we should be good. We have to go back home and take care of business.”
The Cents lost the season series 5-2, winning both games in Merritt.
“There weren’t a whole lot of mistakes, but the one little mistake made turned into goals for both sides, and I think it’s gonna be like that the rest of the series,” added Johnson, a 20-year-old from Okotoks, Alberta.
Luke Voltin and Liam Finlay scored for the second-place Vipers, while agitator Cole Chorney replied for the third-place Cents in Game 2.
Chorney connected on the Cents’ second shot of the game, deflecting a Jake Clifford point shot past Schamerhorn at 10:13 of the opening period. Vernon had posted 10 shots before Merritt converted.
The Vipers equalized at 11:35 of the second session when Voltin redirected a floating wrister by Johnny Coughlin at the left point past Imoo. That snipe came shortly after Viper speedster Thomas Aldworth struck the crossbar with a wicked long snapshot on a power play.
Finlay netted the winner with 3:34 left in the same period with a backhander along the ice during a scramble. TJ Dumonceaux and Liam Coughlin drew assists on the goal which came 27 seconds into a Merritt too many men penalty. Cents’ head coach Luke Pierce was furious since the officials missed an obvious Vernon too many men infraction a few minutes earlier.
Luke Voltin and Liam Finlay scored for the second-place Vipers, while agitator Cole Chorney replied for the third-place Cents in Game 2.
Chorney connected on the Cents’ second shot of the game, deflecting a Jake Clifford point shot past Schamerhorn at 10:13 of the opening period. Vernon had posted 10 shots before Merritt converted.
The Vipers equalized at 11:35 of the second session when Voltin redirected a floating wrister by Johnny Coughlin at the left point past Imoo. That snipe came shortly after Viper speedster Thomas Aldworth struck the crossbar with a wicked long snapshot on a power play.
Finlay netted the winner with 3:34 left in the same period with a backhander along the ice during a scramble. TJ Dumonceaux and Liam Coughlin drew assists on the goal which came 27 seconds into a Merritt too many men penalty. Cents’ head coach Luke Pierce was furious since the officials missed an obvious Vernon too many men infraction a few minutes earlier.
Dumonceaux, named the Vipers’ MVP this season, knocked over anything that moved, crushing Zak Bowles with a rink-shattering body blow along the sidewall while killing a penalty with 2:30 to go. That check had the crowd buzzing.
In the series opener, Colton McCarthy and Aldworth also scored for Vernon, while John Schiavo and Gavin Gould, with the 2-2 equalizer with 1:58 remaining, countered for Merritt.
Todosychuk was marvellous before leaving the game with an injury with 2:23 to play. Gould levelled the score 25 seconds after Todosychuk was replaced by Schamerhorn.
Finlay stripped Merritt defenceman Jake Clifford of the puck in the right corner and fed Latina in the high slot. Latina went top cheddar on Imoo, who matched Todosychuk with a stellar showing.
The Vipers went in front at 17:12 of the first period when McCarthy neatly deflected in a shot by Latina just a dozen seconds after Brandon Duhaine began serving a penalty for high sticking.
Merritt responded 14 seconds later when Schiavo finished a bang-bang play with Diego Cuglietta right in front of the Viper net.
Vernon moved ahead 2-1 with 4:05 to play in the second period when Aldworth one-handed a rebound past Imoo from the doorstep. Imoo had made a save on a wrister from the right side by d-man Mitch Meek. Dumonceaux also earned an assist.
Gould forced the extra session when his wrister from in tight appeared to ricochet in off a Viper body in front after Schamerhorn blocked Gould’s initial shot. Teves was awarded the assist.
Vernon outshot Merritt 38-37.
Both teams enjoyed a handful of excellent scoring chances on the night with Liam Coughlin of the Vipers missing a couple of Grade A opportunities, one on a 2-on-1 with Aldworth. Dumonceaux blocked a shot and was stopped by Imoo on a shorthanded breakaway with 7:15 remaining.
Todosychuk appeared to tweak his leg after Griffyn Martin of the Cents fell on him during a third-period scramble. Brandt took about 20 steps and drove Martin through the net seconds later. Todosychuk made a leg save a few minutes later and was in obvious pain. The popular net detective slammed his stick in disappointment as he left the ice.
Brandt had earlier in the same period ambushed Merritt d-man Cole Arcuri deep in the Cents’ zone for the hit of the night, drawing a huge applause.
Vernon, playing without their top defenceman Luke Shiplo (concussion), almost won early in OT when Linden Hora’s quick shot from the high slot was snagged by Imoo. The Vipers got offence from their top three lines, while Hora, Bauer and Blaine Caton recorded several strong energy shifts.
