Game 5 - Vipers Take 3-2 Series Lead With 4-3 Double OT Win

The Vernon Vipers rallied from a 3-1 deficit heading into the third period to force two overtimes before Luke Voltin scored possibly the luckiest goal of the season to give the Vipers a 3-2 series lead heading home for game 6.  It was the second time in the series these teams would play in double overtime with the Vees winning game 1 by the same score.  It was a test of character and a test of resilience and the lucky goal aside, they pushed the pace and earned their breaks.

For the first time in the series, the Vipers would open the scoring as Luke Voltin would dig the puck out of a scrum in the corner and make a nifty toe drag move and back hand one past Hunter Miska.  Big assist to Riley Brandt on that goal as he tied up 2 Vees allowing Voltin to take that puck away.  The Vees though, had a lot of jump in the first period and doubled the Vipers in shots 14-7.  Todosychuk was very solid in the first period.

The second period was primarily controlled by the Vees and their pressure finally paid off as Riley Alferd would take a puck below the net and with a quick wrap around slide it in before Todosychuk could get across.  Alferd has had a nice series and has scored the first Vees goal in back to back games.  The momentum would continue in the home teams favour as Steen Cooper would skate down the left win and put it at the net.  It would go off a Viper D-man and through the legs of Todosychuk to make it 2-1.  That score lasted 7 seconds before the Vees would enter the zone quickly and Connor Chartier let a hard wrist shot go off the inside of the post and in and the Vees found themselves up by 2.  The key to those goals were they were in the last two minutes of the second period.  The Vipers looked quite flat in the second period as they weren't hitting or moving their feet all that much.  They would have a lot of work to do heading into the final period.

In the third period, the Vipers came out pushing the pace as expected.  Mackenzie Bauer would cause a turnover and rip a hard shot off the shoulder of Hunter Miska.  Fortunately for Bauer it would go off the shoulder and into the back of the net for his first goal of the playoffs.  The Vees continued to hold the lead while trying to get some offense, but the Vipers were starting to come on and play a little desperate.  Late in regulation an offensive zone faceoff would find its way to Riley Guenther and he would let a wrist shot go with a ton of traffic in front of the net and it would elude Miska to tie the game up late.  This game would need at least one extra period to be solved.

There weren't a whole lot of quality scoring chances in the first overtime.  I thought it was a pretty balanced period with both teams playing rather cautious.

The second overtime however, had a few more rushes and chances, but it was a fluky play that led to the game winner as Luke Voltin carried in down the right side and looked like he was trying fire across to the corner or a Viper on the near side, but it hit a Penticton Vee and went top corner on Hunter Miska who had no chance on the goal.  The Vipers will take it and a 3-2 series lead into game 6 tonight at Kal Tire Place.

Here is the official box score from the BCHL website:

SCORING SUMMARY

PERIOD 1

1-0 Vernon Vipers at 16:01 - Luke Voltin from Riley Brandt

PERIOD 2

1-1 Penticton Vees at 8:57 - Riley Alferd from Jack Ramsey and Matthew Serratore

2-1 Penticton Vees at 18:13 - Steen Cooper from Cody DePourcq and Dante Fabbro

3-1 Penticton Vees at 18:20 - Connor Chartier from Dakota Conroy and Miles Gendron

PERIOD 3

3-2 Vernon Vipers at 2:57 - Mackenzie Bauer (unassisted)

3-3 Vernon Vipers at 17:48 - Riley Guenther from Jagger Williamson and Liam Finlay

OVERTIME PERIOD 2

4-3 Vernon Vipers at 5:37 - Luke Voltin (unassisted)

STARS OF THE GAME
1st STAR	2nd STAR	3rd STAR
Penticton Vees Connor Chartier	Penticton Vees Riley Alferd	Vernon Vipers Riley Guenther

I know the 3 stars don't seem to make sense, the way the game ended, but the explanation was that these stars were determined before the start of the third period.  That being the case those were the right stars through 40 minutes.  The only change I would've made would've been slotting Luke Voltin into the first start selection.  A lot gets made up out of the three stars selection, but each building has a different way of relaying the three stars.  Again, after 40 minutes the stars were bang on.  No harm done.

This game seemed to lack the physical edge through the first 4 games.  It wasn't until the third period where the Vipers played that kind of game that included urgency.  I would be off my rocker if I didn't talk about the play of Danny Todosychuk.  This was a gutsy performance by the Viper goaltender who stopped 48 of 51 shots despite at times looking a bit uncomfortable.  The Vipers veteran players have really come to the forefront in this second round and there is no better evidence than in between the pipes.

The Vipers know that the hardest game to win is the fourth one and will have to be prepared for a very desperate Vees team.

Game 6 goes tonight at Kal Tire Place starting at 6pm...here's how you can tune in:

Listen with myself and Mitchell Oliver...http://1075kiss.com/
Listen with Fraser Rodgers and Trevor Miller...http://penticton.myezrock.com/
Watch on Fasthockey...http://www.fasthockey.com

Thanks for reading the blog!  Feel free to follow me on Twitter...@GrahamT_Vipers for all your Viper news and information.

Game 4 - Vipers Even Series With 5-2 Win

The Vernon Vipers continued their home success in 2015 with a second consecutive 5-2 win over the Penticton Vees in game 4 of the Interior Division Finals on Wednesday night.  This win was a bit different from the one before as the final two goals were scored into an empty net, but neither side was too worried about the score, it was about the win and the Vipers rallied from a deficit to even up the series at 2.

For the fourth straight time it was the Vees opening the scoring off a power move from the right side of the ice.  A backhander was stopped by Todosychuk, but the rebound seemed to bounce in off of Luke Shiplo and it was 1-0 Penticton.  The Vipers were still in really good shape as they were peppering the Penticton goal.  Miska was strong, but he couldn't stop everything as a point shot from Kenny Citron was stopped, but the rebound bounced in off Blaine Caton to even the score at 1.  The Vipers powerplay continued to help out the team in first periods as Brandon Egli scored with a low shot right along the ice and through the legs of Miska with Colton McCarthy parked right in front.  The Vipers would get to the intermission leading 2-1.

The second period was primarily controlled by the Vees.  Early in the second, they were able to hem the Vipers in their own zone for a very long time and after becoming fatigued, Cody DePourcq would find himself all alone and get a pass from Steen Cooper to even the score at 2.  The Vees continued to keep up the pressure, but Danny Todosychuk stood strong stopping 9 of 10 in the period.

The importance of the third period was obvious to all involved.  The Vees wanted to go home leading the series 3-1, the Vipers wanting the opposite to go back to the SOEC even at 2.  The question was who would come out on top.  It was a fairly tentative period for both sides, but eventually the Vipers were able to generate a 3 on 2 and Riley Guenther would jam home a loose puck to give Vernon a 3-2 lead.  The Vipers defensively were very strong and spent a good portion of the period in the Penticton end.  Late in the game the Vipers would be assessed a penalty and the Vees struggling powerplay looked to even the score late.  With Miska on the bench for an extra attacker, the Vipers would get two goals from Liam Coughlin to send the series back to Penticton tied at 2 after a 5-2 win for the homeside.

Here is the official box score from the BCHL website:

SCORING SUMMARY

PERIOD 1

1-0 Penticton Vees at 8:44 - Riley Alferd from Jarod Hilderman

1-1 Vernon Vipers at 15:01 - Blaine Caton from Ken Citron and Brandon Egli

2-1 Vernon Vipers at 18:21 (PP) - Brandon Egli from Johnny Coughlin and Anthony Latina

PERIOD 2

2-2 Penticton Vees at 3:51 - Cody DePourcq from Steen Cooper and Gabe Bast

PERIOD 3

3-2 Vernon Vipers at 7:19 - Riley Guenther from Luke Voltin and Colton McCarthy

4-2 Vernon Vipers at 19:12 (SH) (EN)- Liam Coughlin from Riley Guenther

5-2 Vernon Vipers at 19:36 (SH) (EN)- Liam Coughlin from Riley Guenther and TJ Dumonceaux

STARS OF THE GAME
1st STAR	2nd STAR	3rd STAR
Vernon Vipers Riley Guenther	Vernon Vipers Liam Coughlin	Penticton Vees Cody DePourcq

The game was intense, physical and well played from both sides.  The goaltending was good for both teams, but the Vipers were able to find another gear and seem to be playing with a renewed confidence.  The Viper PK was a big difference in this game and in the last two games as they killed off 12 consecutive powerplays thru games 3 and 4.  Danny Todosychuk was very solid in goal for the second straight night and now has all 3 wins the Vipers have over the Vees dating back to the regular season.

The challenge for the Vipers now is to try build on that and win in a very tough environment.  The Vees are very good at home and both teams will have to be at their best.

Game 5 is tonight at the SOEC at 7pm...here's how you can tune in:

Listen with myself and Mitchell Oliver...http://1075kiss.com/
Listen with Fraser Rodgers and Trevor Miller...http://penticton.myezrock.com/
Watch on Fasthockey...http://www.fasthockey.com

Thanks for reading my blog!  Feel free to follow me on Twitter...@GrahamT_Vipers for all your Viper news and information.

Game 3 - Vipers Rally To Win 5-2

The Vipers played a very good 56 minute game on Tuesday night at Kal Tire Place in Game 3 of the BCHL's Interior Division Final.  They were able to recover from an early 2 goal deficit to skate away with a 5-2 win.  They were able to win the special teams battle, Todosychuk was outstanding including a phenomenal stick save in the second period.  The penalty kill was perfect including 55 seconds of 6 on 3.  The powerplay executed when it mattered most, but most importantly for this team they were consistently physical.

It was all Vees early as it was in game 2, as Connor Chartier would redirect a point shot straight down and through the legs of Danny Todosychuk and just 48 seconds into the game the Vees led 1-0.  They could keep the pressure on, but it was a fortuitous bounce that gave them a 2 goal lead as a puck rattled around in the feet of a few players at the side of the net before it appeared Todosychuk kicked it into his own goal.  Steen Cooper was the last Vee to touch the puck so he gets credit for the goal.  Mark Ferner sensing his team but be vulnerable called his time out just 4 minutes into the game and it paid dividends as the team came out much more intense.  Riley Brandt would get the Vipers on the board from a sharp angle as it was a hard shot that went through Miska to make it 2-1.  Just under two minutes later, Thomas Aldworth would bust down the right wing with a hard shot that beat Miska and all of a sudden the game was tied at 2.  The Vipers would then find themselves on a powerplay as Shiplo would let a good shot go from the left circle over the glove of Miska and all of a sudden the Vipers led 3-2 after 1 period.

It was more of the same in period 2 as the Vipers and Vees were locked in an intense battle.  The Viper top line would extend the lead as Liam Coughlin was able to tap in a back door pass from Luke Shiplo.  Hunter Miska would be removed from the game and replaced by Brendan Barry.  Barry to fair no better as Colton McCarthy scored on a wrist shot to make it 5-2.  Hunter Miska would come back in, as the Vees were faced with a three goal deficit.  Moments after that Danny Todosychuk would absolutely rob Cam Amantea with a paddle save as the puck looked like it was going to find that back of the net.  After 40 minutes the Vipers led 5-2.

The Vees pushed hard in the third period, but ran into a Viper team who were quite committed to defense give Penticton issues getting cleanly through the neutral zone.  The Vees best opportunity to get back into it was a 5 on 3 for 55 seconds and with Miska on the bench it was a 6 on 3.  The Vees had a couple of looks at the net, but missed wide on 4 of them and Todosychuk was able to stop the rest.  The final horn would sound as the home teams continue to hold serve with Game 4 coming up later today.

Here is the official scoring summary from the BCHL website

SCORING SUMMARY

PERIOD 1

1-0 Penticton Vees at 0:48 - Connor Chartier from Patrick Sexton and Dakota Conroy

2-0 Penticton Vees at 3:58 - Steen Cooper from Demico Hannoun

2-1 Vernon Vipers at 15:47 - Riley Brandt from Luke Voltin

2-2 Vernon Vipers at 17:03 - Thomas Aldworth from Liam Coughlin

3-2 Vernon Vipers at 18:13 (PP) - Luke Shiplo from Liam Coughlin and Thomas Aldworth

PERIOD 2

4-2 Vernon Vipers at 6:29 - Liam Coughlin from Luke Shiplo and Thomas Aldworth

5-2 Vernon Vipers at 13:02 - Colton McCarthy from Luke Voltin

PERIOD 3

No Scoring

STARS OF THE GAME
1st STAR	2nd STAR	3rd STAR
Vernon Vipers Liam Coughlin	Vernon Vipers Thomas Aldworth	Vernon Vipers Luke Shiplo

This was the type of effort that was sorely missed in game 2.  Despite facing adversity, the Vipers were able to respond in a positive manner and a game 3 win.  They were also able to win without their top scorer in Liam Finlay who is out with an upper body injury.

Game 4 goes tonight at Kal Tire Place starting at 7pm.  If you can't be there, here's how you can tune in.

Listen with myself and Don Klepp...http://1075kiss.com/
Listen with Fraser Rodgers...http://penticton.myezrock.com/
Watch on Fasthockey...http://www.fasthockey.com

Thanks for checking out the blog!  Feel free to follow me on Twitter...@GrahamT_Vipers for all your Viper news and information.

Game 2 - Vees Take 2-0 Series Lead With 5-2 Win

Coming into game 2, after a fantastic game 1, expectations were high for another back and forth open hockey game.  Unfortunately that wasn't the case as frustrations would boil over and the Vipers would fall 5-2.  In game 1, the Vipers found themselves in penalty trouble, but were able to reel in their emotions and focus them in the right direction.  Game 2, it just didn't feel like those emotions could be brought in.  There was obvious concern for two fallen teammates as Liam Finlay was hit hard and didn't return and Anthony Latina was struck in the face with a stick and also didn't return.  Game 2 would go to the Vees, but for the Vipers there's no where to go but up and returning home should help.

The Vipers found themselves trailing early as just 42 seconds into the game, Tyson Jost  converted on a 3 on 2 rush to make it 1-0 Penticton.  Liam Finlay would be run over at the Penticton blueline leading to a 5 on 3 PP for the Vipers, where Finlay would get some form of revenge as he would bank in a centering pass off a Vee defender to tie the game up at 1.  Unfortunately for Finlay  he would be forced to leave the game and not return.  Shortly after that, it appeared Anthony Latina was clipped in the face by an errant stick and also was forced to leave the game and not return.  Losing those two hurt the Vipers, but with lots of time left and in a tie game there was still plenty of time to rally.  The Vees however took over the momentum as they started to control the flow of play.  Just like a night ago a goal would be scored in the final minute, this time it was the Vees taking a 2-1 lead on a goal mouth scramble that saw Cam Amantea slip home his first of the playoffs to end period 1.

Period 2 was primarily controlled by the Vees again and just like period 1, they would score in the first minute to make it 3-1 thanks to another Tyson Jost goal as he powered his way to the net and made a nice move on Schamerhorn.  The Vipers had a chance to get back in it with a powerplay midway through, but a few moments later would find themselves shorthanded 5 on 3.  Just as the game was getting back to even strength, Connor Chartier would tap in a centering pass from Dakota Conroy to make it 4-1.  Less than 2 minutes later it would be 5-1 on a Demico Hannoun marker.

The third period was all about building towards game 3.  The Vees weren't pressing, but I thought the Vipers simplified their game enough and seemed to refocus.  Hunter Miska was very good in the period.  Only Riley Brandt would beat him with a wrist shot from the left circle to finish the game 5-2.

Here is the official box score from the BCHL website:

SCORING SUMMARY

PERIOD 1

1-0 Penticton Vees at 0:42 - Tyson Jost from Demico Hannoun and Patrick Newell

1-1 Vernon Vipers at 7:48 (PP) - Liam Finlay from Liam Coughlin and Thomas Aldworth

2-1 Penticton Vees at 19:23 - Cam Amantea from Cody DePourcq and Dante Fabbro

PERIOD 2

3-1 Penticton Vees at 0:57 (PP) - Tyson Jost from Jack Ramsey and Demico Hannoun

4-1 Penticton Vees at 13:50 - Connor Chartier from Lewis Zerter - Gossage and Dakota Conroy

5-1 Penticton Vees at 15:44 - Demico Hannoun from Patrick Newell and Dante Fabbro

PERIOD 3

5-2 Vernon Vipers at 16:47 - Riley Brandt from Ken Citron and Luke Voltin

STARS OF THE GAME
1st STAR	2nd STAR	3rd STAR
Penticton Vees Demico Hannoun	Penticton Vees Tyson Jost	Penticton Vees Cam Amantea

The Vipers will now host their first playoff game in exactly two weeks for games 3 and 4.  The Vipers have been very good at home all year and especially in 2015.  They say a series doesn't truly start until a team has won on the road, and the Vipers would like to make sure that doesn't happen tonight in Game 3.

Here's how you can tune in

Listen with myself and Don Klepp...http://1075kiss.com/
Listen with Fraser Rodgers...http://penticton.myezrock.com/
Watch on Fasthockey...http://www.fasthockey.com

Thanks for checking out the blog!  Feel free to follow me on Twitter...@GrahamT_Vipers for all your Viper news and information!

Game 1 - Vees Top Vipers 4-3 in Double OT

The general consensus following Game 1 of the BCHL Interior Division Final is that this is going to be a heck of a series.  The game could've gone either way with both teams showing off their offensive abilities, great goaltending and stingy defensive prowess.  It wasn't solved through 80 minutes, but a few minutes into the second OT the Vees would win 4-3 thank to Connor Chartier.

Both teams started the game a little nervous and were quite hesitant.  The Vipers to their credit tried to use the energy and excitement to the physical side of things, but sometimes when you do that, you find yourself in penalty trouble.  The first period was an example of that.  The Vees powerplay had struggled in Round 1 with just 1 PPG on 21 chances.  Their first man advantage didn't net Penticton a goal, but I thought it generated them momentum.  They would carry that momentum into a 2 on 1 where Demico Hannoun out waited the sliding Viper defenseman and would find Dante Fabbro to make it 1-0 Penticton.  Penalty trouble continued to haunt the Vipers in the first period and this time the powerplay clicked as Jack Ramsey finished off his own rebound in front of the net to give the Vees a 2-0 lead.  Keys in the period were the Vipers getting two really good scoring chances while shorthanded, only to be thwarted by Hunter Miska.

The message in the first intermission must have been play physical, but play smart, because the Vipers still had an edge, but were able to stay out out of the penalty box for the most part.  The second period was their best period and the line of Finlay, Williamson and Latina would combine to get the snakes on the board.  That line would cause a turnover behind the net and Finlay would find Latina parked in front to make it 2-1.  The only penalty in the period was a costly one for the Vipers a few minutes later as Dante Fabbro would get his second of the game on a point shot that hit a Viper defender and eluded Jarrod Schamerhorn.  The Vipers started to put the pressure on the Vees in the final few minutes resulting in an offensive zone face off with 5 seconds left.  Dumonceaux won the draw straight backwards and Aldworth teed up a perfectly placed shot to make it 3-2 with just 1 second left.

The Vipers looked a lot more confident heading into the third down by a goal.  They would get the game tied up on a Ken Citron point shot that hit Thomas Aldworth in front and found its way through Hunter Miska.  The third period was quite exciting, teams trading chances and both goaltenders were lights out.  The Vipers had an opportunity to end it in regulation on a play exactly the same as the one at the end of the second period.  Dumonceaux won it back to Aldworth but this time he rang it off the cross bar.  This game would need at least an extra period to be solved.

In the overtime, the Vipers would start it on a powerplay, but couldn't generate too many really quality chances and the Vees would kill it off.  I was surprised to see how open the period was as both teams were going end to end trying to end it early.  The Vees looked like they had ended the game when Tyson Jost drove the net hard.  The puck would find the back of the net, but Jost collided hard with Jarrod Schamerhorn.  The referee had called incidental contact with the goalie and waived off the goal, but not awarded a penalty.  There was no question the puck crossed the line, but it didn't do so until after Jost had run into Schamerhorn .  He had no ability to make the save and I thought it was the right call.  Jost wouldn't be deterred again as he'd try his luck down the same wing, busted hard to the net but this time clanked it off the post.  The Vipers would get some chances in the first OT, but nothing doing and it was off to the second OT.

It took one shot in the second overtime as Miles Gendron simply wristed one at the net and Connor Chartier lunged to get a stick on it and deflected it past Schamerhorn to give the Vees a 1-0 series lead and a 4-3 win.

Here is the official box score from the BCHL website:

SCORING SUMMARY

PERIOD 1

1-0 Penticton Vees at 6:02 - Dante Fabbro from Demico Hannoun

2-0 Penticton Vees at 14:39 (PP) - Jack Ramsey from Patrick Newell and Mike Lee

PERIOD 2

2-1 Vernon Vipers at 8:47 - Anthony Latina from Jagger Williamson and Liam Finlay

3-1 Penticton Vees at 12:13 (PP) - Dante Fabbro from Lewis Zerter - Gossage and Connor Chartier

3-2 Vernon Vipers at 19:59 - Thomas Aldworth from TJ Dumonceaux

PERIOD 3

3-3 Vernon Vipers at 10:58 - Thomas Aldworth from Ken Citron and Liam Coughlin

OVERTIME PERIOD 2

4-3 Penticton Vees at 2:11 - Connor Chartier from Miles Gendron

STARS OF THE GAME
1st STAR	2nd STAR	3rd STAR
Penticton Vees Dante Fabbro	Vernon Vipers Thomas Aldworth	Penticton Vees Connor Chartier

Game 1 had a little bit of everything and seemed like a good table setter for the rest of the series.

Game 2 will go tonight at the SOEC with a 6pm puck drop.

Here's how you can check it out

Listen with myself and Don Klepp...http://1075kiss.com/
Listen with voice of the Vees Fraser Rodgers...http://penticton.myezrock.com/
Watch on Fasthockey...http://www.fasthockey.com

Thanks for reading my blog!  Feel free to follow me on Twitter...@GrahamT_Vipers for all your Viper news and information!

Round 2 Preview - Vipers/Vees

The second leg of the march to the Fred Page Cup for the Vernon Vipers begins tomorrow night in Penticton.

The head to head series in the regular season saw the Vees win 6 of 7, with three of them coming at Kal Tire Place where the Vipers only lost 6 times in regulation.

1) - October 17 - Vipers 1 Vees 3 - KTP
2) - October 25 - Vipers 0 Vees 1 - SOEC
3) - November 14 - Vipers 2 Vees 4 - KTP
4) - December 5 - Vipers 3 Vees 4 - KTP
5) - January 2 - Vipers 0 Vees 3 - SOEC
6) - February 11 - Vipers 2 Vees 1 - SOEC
7) - February 27 - Vipers 2 Vees 3 - SOEC

No real surprise that they've all been generally close games.  Not only have they been close, but they've been extremely entertaining affairs.  The Vees won't be coming into the series expecting to dominate the win/loss column, but the record should give them some confidence.  For the Vipers they have played their best hockey of the season in a 4 game sweep over the Merritt Centennials.  The Vipers are 9-1 at home in 2015 and all three of their losses at home to Penticton were before the calendar changed.

Lets look at the head to head success:

Vernon - Thomas Aldworth 5 G 0 A - 5 Pts
             - TJ Dumonceaux 1 G 3 A - 4 Pts
             - Liam Finlay 0 G 4 A - 4 Pts

Penticton - Dante Fabbro 1 G 5 A - 6 Pts
                - Demico Hannoun 4 G 1 A - 5 Pts
                - Gabe Bast 1 G 4 A - 5 Pts

When talking goaltending it remained a question mark for the Vipers heading in.  Danny Todosychuk started Game 1 in round 1, but sustained an injury and Jarrod Schamerhorn took over and played very well.  Todosychuk holds the only win over Penticton and if healthy, Mark Ferner will have a heck of a dilemma.  Both guys are capable of being starters.  Do you start Danny who played very well in game 1, or do you go back with Schamerhorn who is credited with 4 straight wins.  It will be very interesting to watch depending on the status of Todosychuk coming into the series.

On the other side, Hunter Miska is the bona fide number 1 guy.  He led the league in the majority of the statistics and played every second against the Vipers this season.  That is not expected to change.  He is a difference maker for the Vees, who don't give up much offense against, but when they do, Miska has the ability to flip a switch and shut down the opposition.  There is little doubt that Fred Harbinson will rely on him in the series.

Head to head goalie stats:

Vernon

Danny Todosychuk - 1-2-0-0, 2.00 GAA, .932 Sv%
Jarrod Schamerhorn - 0-4-0-0, 2.50 GAA, .932 Sv%

Penticton

Hunter Miska - 6-1-0-0, 1.42 GAA, .955 Sv%


Its interesting to note the special teams battle.  It was a tail of two seasons.  The Vipers PP was atrocious early on and went 0/8 in the first three games.  They went 3 for 11 in the last 4 games.  Its the complete opposite for the Vees.  Their PP was 5/14 in the first three, then a stone cold 0 for 15 in the last 4 games.

Those numbers of course mean nothing in the second season, but the Vipers powerplay and penalty kill have vastly improved and that will be crucial for them in this seeries.

Here is the Series Schedule:

Saturday March 14 - 6pm - SOEC
Sunday March 15 - 6pm - SOEC
Tuesday March 17 - 7pm - KTP
Wednesday March 18 - 7pm - KTP
Friday March 20 - 7pm - SOEC (if necessary)
Saturday March 21 - 6pm - KTP (if necessary)
Sunday March 22 - 6pm - SOEC (if necessary)

This is a rematch of last years Interior Final which had the Vipers surprising the Vees in Game 7.  The Vees will use that as motivation.  For the Vipers they are up against the BCHL's best in the regular season and will use this as a measuring stick.  They way they've played of late don't expect a lot of goals for or against.  The rivalry will be renewed tomorrow!

Here are your listening/viewing options

Listen with myself and Don Klepp...http://1075kiss.com/
Listen with voice of the Vees, Fraser Rodgers...http://penticton.myezrock.com/
Watch on Fasthockey...http://www.fasthockey.com/

Thanks for checking out the blog!  Feel free to follow me on Twitter...@GrahamT_Vipers for all you Viper news and information!

Game 4 - Vipers Wrap Up Series 6-5

Coming into a four game series there aren't many teams who expect to sweep.  Especially when the two teams going head to head are as evenly matched and well coached as the Vipers and Centennials.  The Vipers found themselves ahead 3 games to none heading into game 4 and were greeted with a huge challenge in the form of a desperate Merritt team.  This game was unlike the previous three, both teams executed on their opportunities, but in the end the Vipers were able to hold on for a 6-5 win and a series sweep to move onto the next round of the playoffs.

The key for the Vipers on this night would come from a quick start.  Thomas Aldworth would open the scoring on the PP with a hard wrist shot from the circle.  The Vipers tacked on another one just a few minutes later off a beautiful set up from the fourth line as Blaine Caton drove the net hard and received a nice pass from Mackenzie Bauer to make it 2-0 in the first 6 minutes.  The deficit seemed to keep the Centennials just a step behind.  The Cents responded 6 minutes later as the Vipers couldn't clear, Cole Arcuri would make them pay with a well placed shot up and under the bar to make it 2-1.  The Vipers would respond quickly as Riley Guenther kept a clearing attempt in at the blue line and released a snapper that beat Imoo to make it 3-1.  That two goal lead was short lived as the Centennials used their PP to get it back within 1 on a nice set up to Shane Poulsen, who walked down the slot and rifled it past Schamerhorn to make it 3-2 Vernon after 1 period.

The second tightened up a bit, but the Centennials found themselves on three powerplays and took advantage on it as a scramble in the slot found Diego Cuglietta at the side of the net and he tied the game up 3-3.  Just under four minutes later TJ Dumonceaux would take a pass down the right wing and snap it past Imoo to give Vernon a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes.

The Centennials played as desperate as a team clinging to hope could.  Unfortunately for them the Vipers caused a turnover midway through the period and Liam Finlay gave the Vipers another 2 goal advantage.  Luke Pierce would pull Jonah Imoo with 3 and half minutes remaining and it paid dividends right away as a point shot hit Gavin Gould in the slot and fooled Schamerhorn and it was a one goal game again.  Imoo would go back the bench a minute later, but Riley Brandt stole a pass in the neutral zone and made it 6-4 into an empty net.  The Cents would get one back with 2 seconds on the clock, but time would expire on the Cents season as the Vipers would hold on for a 6-5 win.

Here is the official box score from the BCHL website.:

SCORING SUMMARY

PERIOD 1

1-0 Vernon Vipers at 3:25 (PP) - Mackenzie Bauer from Riley Guenther and Liam Finlay

2-0 Vernon Vipers at 5:56 - Blaine Caton from Mackenzie Bauer and Michael Roberts

2-1 Merritt Centennials at 9:37 - Cole Arcuri from Colin Grannary and Michael Ederer

3-1 Vernon Vipers at 12:48 - Riley Guenther (unassisted)

3-2 Merritt Centennials at 14:36 (PP) - Shane Poulsen from Stephan Seeger and Gavin Gould

PERIOD 2

3-3 Merritt Centennials at 10:37 (PP) - Diego Cuglietta from Stephan Seeger and Shane Poulsen

4-3 Vernon Vipers at 15:00 - TJ Dumonceaux from Liam Coughlin

PERIOD 3

5-3 Vernon Vipers at 9:04 - Liam Finlay from Jagger Williamson

5-4 Merritt Centennials at 16:48 - Gavin Gould from Josh Teves and Diego Cuglietta

6-4 Vernon Vipers at 18:25 - Riley Brandt (unassisted)

6-5 Merritt Centennials at 19:58 - Sam Johnson from Diego Cuglietta and John Schiavo

STARS OF THE GAME
1st STAR	2nd STAR	3rd STAR
Merritt Centennials Sam Johnson	Merritt Centennials Diego Cuglietta	Merritt Centennials Griffyn Martin

The three stars were announced differently in the building.  1) -  Mackenzie Bauer 2) - Gavin Gould 3) - Liam Finlay.

Merritt clearly honoring the players who are moving on next season.  A nice gesture.

The Vipers are now off until Friday when round 2 begins.  The opponent is yet to be determined.  Tomorrow on the blog I will break the series down in more detail.

Thanks for checking out the blog!  You can follow me on Twitter....@GrahamT_Vipers for all your Viper news and information!