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!
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