Warriors Run Down Vipers:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Warriors run down Vipers

Published: February 10, 2009

It wasn’t the Vernon Vipers’ 4-1 loss that irked head coach Mark Ferner about their game with the Westside Warriors Saturday at Royal LePage Place.
Yes, it’s two points the Vipers (37-12-1-3) certainly could have used in their quest for first place in the B.C. Hockey League’s Interior Conference, but Ferner was more concerned with the decision of Warriors’ bench boss Mark Howell to call a timeout with the score already 4-1 late in the game.
“It’s 4-1 with six minutes left, and Mark Howell calls a timeout,” said Ferner. “You don’t do that. Either Mark Howell is trying to rub our noses in it, or Mark Howell doesn’t know any better.
“You don’t leave your top unit out for two minutes at that stage of the game. I don’t know what he’s trying to prove there.
“I’m glad we play them one more time because our guys didn’t take kindly to it.”
Howell responded by saying he was using the timeout as an opportunity work on their powerplay systems in preparation for the playoffs.
“It wasn’t an effort to run up the score. It was an opportunity to get our guys refocused and execute better and be more polished in what you’re doing.
“It was more a measure of making sure we’re doing things right.”
The Warriors (33-16-1-4), who have won six straight, took just two minutes to get on the board as Grayson Downing, assisted by Cam Reid and Michael Quinn, beat Vipers’ goalie Andrew Hammond for his 11th goal.
“We came out hard and scored first, which is important in any game,” said Howell. “Because we followed the game played, we were able to execute.”
The Vipers, who are 8-0-1-1 in their last 10 games, replied at 5:13 on the powerplay. Defenceman Kyle Bigos (eighth) took a cross-box feed from Kellen Jones and one-timed a shot to beat netminder Kevin Jebson.
The Warriors got second-period goals from former Trail Smoke Eater Chad Gehon (20th, on the powerplay) and Quinn Gould (third).
“Credit Westside for the win,” said Ferner. “They came out hard, and we didn’t have any gas in the tank. You could see it from the opening faceoff.”
The Vipers, who didn’t return from their Friday-night tilt with the Smokies until 4 a.m. – they’ll do it again as they visit Trail (25-25-2-2) again on Friday – weren’t able to match Westside’s pace.
“It has been a tough road trip for us,” said Ferner, adding several flu-stricken players were throwing up between periods.
The Vipers spent most of the third period in the penalty box, handing the Warriors three 5-on-3 powerplays. Warriors’ sniper Jordan Gagne (33rd) cashed in on the first one at 1:31 to complete the scoring.
The Vipers visited the Merritt Centennials (10-41-0-3) Tuesday night at Nicola Valley Arena before ending their four-game road trip in Trail. On Saturday, the Vipers entertain the Prince George Spruce Kings (23-23-3-6), who brushed back the host Cents 5-3 Saturday night.
Meanwhile, the Salmon Arm SilverBacks reclaimed first place in the Interior Conference with weekend wins over the Langley Chiefs and Surrey Eagles.