Monday 26 October 2015

Game 16 - Warriors 3 Vipers 2

The Vernon Vipers carried a 3 game winning streak into Friday night's game against the West Kelowna Warriors, but it was the Warriors who aside from 3 minutes in the game, came out hustling and skated off with a 3-2 victory at Kal Tire Place.

The Vipers had the perfect start to the game as they were skating hard and putting pucks at the net.  That game plan proved effective as they scored two goals on the first two shots of the game.  Jimmy Lambert found himself open at the side of the net to make it 1-0.  Just 16 seconds later Colton McCarthy jammed home a puck at the right post to make it 2-0 early on.  The Warriors picked up momentum after that and really took the game over.  Garrett Forster would score 3 minutes later to make it 2-1 Vernon after 1.  The Warriors peppered the Viper goal with 21 shots in the first period and had it not been for Andrew Shortridge, the Vipers wouldn't be leading after 1 period.

It was more of the same in the second as the Vipers had trouble moving the puck and had sustained portions of the game when they were hemmed in their own zone.  The Warriors really picked up the physicality and that caused some turnovers, one led directly to the tying goal that saw Liam Blackburn rip shot high over the glove of Shortride to make it 2-2 midway through the second.  A late powerplay for the Tribe had Jonathan Desbiens give his team the lead off a shot from the bottom of the circle up under the bar and after 2 it was 3-2 West Kelowna.

The Vipers tried to get something going, but really couldn't generate a whole lot in terms of quality scoring chances.  It was a pretty defensive period, but in the end with the goalie pulled, the Vipers just couldn't get one by Stephen Heslop and the Vipers would fall 3-2.

Here is the official box score:

SCORING SUMMARY
PERIOD 1
1-0 Vernon Vipers at 1:45 Jimmy Lambert from Colton McCarthy and Bo Pellah
2-0 Vernon Vipers at 2:01 Colton McCarthy from Riley Brandt and Jimmy Lambert
2-1 West Kelowna Warriors at 5:40 Garrett Forster from Connor Sodergren
PERIOD 2
2-2 West Kelowna Warriors at 10:29 Liam Blackburn from Tanner Campbell
3-2 West Kelowna Warriors at 19:27 (PP) Jonathan Desbiens from Tanner Campbell
PERIOD 3
No Scoring

SCORING123TOTAL
West Kelowna Warriors1203
Vernon Vipers2002
SHOTS123TOTAL
West Kelowna Warriors21161148
Vernon Vipers108826
POWER PLAYS
West Kelowna Warriors1 for 3 (33.3%)
Vernon Vipers0 for 3 (00.0%)

Aside from the first two minutes of the game, and the final minute when they were trying to tie the game up, this was a performance to forget for the Vipers.  They looked flat and really overmatched for much of this game.

Again, Andrew Shortridge was spectacular stopping 45 of 48 in the loss.

The Vipers will look for a much better effort tomorrow night when they take on the Victoria Grizzlies at Kal Tire Place.

No comments:

Post a Comment