It wasn't the way the Vipers wanted to end the weekend taking just 1 of a possible 4 points against divisional opponents. In a night where scoring was down all over the BCHL, most likely because of the Canada West tryouts, the Merritt Centennials would score once and that was all the scoring they would need.
The first period was dominated by the Vipers. A couple of glorious opportunities to score. Devin Kero was at his best stopping all 17 shots that he faced. It seemed like if the Vipers could keep that type of pressure on, it was only a matter of time before a puck went in the net.
The second period unfortunately for Vernon was completely opposite, as the Cents came out and took it to the Snakes and kept them on their heels. The turning point of the game was special teams. It seems like we talk about this every game that in games where the Vipers lose, its the special teams that prove to be the difference and Saturday night is no exception. Merritt would use their second ranked powerplay to their advantage as Gavin Gould would slide a rebound past Michael Stiliadis and give the Cents a 1-0 lead after 2 periods.
In the third, the Vipers would push for the equalizer, but couldn't get anything going and didn't really get too many scoring chances. Credit to the Cents for blocking a few shots and making smart plays out of their zone. With Stiliadis on the bench for an extra attacker, the Vipers just couldn't get to the front of the net and time would expire giving the Cents the 1-0 win.
My 3 Key Thoughts
1) - Close But No Cigar - The first period was where the Vipers were at their best. Had they scored 1 in that period, who knows how different the game could have been. They didn't and Kero kept the Cents in the game and the team rewarded him with 1 goal and that was all they needed.
2) - Shut out Again - Despite the fact that the Vipers had a very good month of October with 6 wins 3 losses and 1 over time loss, there are some very glaring issues in those losses. They were shut out 3 times in the month of October and that is cause for concern.
3) - Devin Kero - He was great. Not to say that Stiliadis wasn't, but Kero has been great for the Cents all year long. He's got very impressive numbers even though his win/loss record isn't where I'm sure he'd like it. Usually when you only give up one goal, you like your chances of winning. Against Kero one was too much to overcome.
The Vipers have a few days to work on some things, most likely the powerplay which continues to struggle. Its an important weekend coming up as Salmon Arm and Victoria come to town. Both games will be internet only and you can catch it on Vipers MixLR
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