Vipers Built For Stretch Drive:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Vipers built for stretch drive

By Kevin Mitchell - Vernon Morning Star

A trade here and there and the Vernon Vipers had what they believed to be a championship team in order back in January.
The Vipers, like the rest of the B.C. Hockey League’s elite, never rebuild. Instead, they re-load. They recruited well enough last spring and summer to enter the season with high expectations.
“It’s great,” said Viper head coach/GM Mark Ferner, who somehow escaped being drenched with champagne in a joyous dressing room Sunday night. “It’s something that you work for all year long. All summer, we put in long, long hours and we travel places. Not only Jason (assistant coach Williamson) and our training staff. Larry Black and our scouting staff as well. They go all over this God’s green earth to find us players, and the right players. That’s the important thing. Character is something that was revealed with our hockey team this series.”
In his second year with the Snakes, Ferner has marvelled how close this bunch is on and off the ice. Nobody throws anybody under the bus as they strive to reach the Royal Bank Cup, May 2-10, in Victoria.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” said Ferner. “This wasn’t our goal. It was one of our goals. Our goal is around the corner in Grande Prairie and again, obviously, RBC would be the ultimate goal.”
“We’re going to be family for life and this is definitely going to help us next series,” said defenceman Kyle Bigos. “Just to be this close and know what it takes to win is going to take us all the way. The younger guys brought the enthusiasm and the older guys brought the experience and guidelines to win.”
Fellow d-man Cameron Brodie, who wore an Aircast in between games, joined the Vipers along with fellow 20-year-old Mike Leidl to provide Vernon with toughness and experience at the trade deadline.
“I’m still floating,” said Brodie, moments after embracing former Merritt Centennial teammate Jordan Grant, of the Kings, in the hallway. “I’ve played for a lot of teams and with a lot of different guys, but this is the best team I’ve ever played for. We’re well-rounded and so tenacious forechecking, and everyone in that dressing room is a good guy.”
Brodie, who attended Silver Star Elementary for seven years before moving to Vancouver, was surprised to end up in Vernon.
“There were rumours I was going to Victoria so I was getting prepared for that, and then I got the call to come to Vernon.”
Added all-star net detective Andrew Hammond, taking a break from photos with the Fred Page Cup: “I’ve never been on a team that’s been any tighter. Everyone loves showing up to the rink everyday, even the coaches. Dunc (Wray), our owner, is amazing, and every guy would go to war with anyone else. We’ll have this for the rest of our lives.”
The only time the Viper dressing room was quiet came when Wray asked to say some words. He used the 10 seconds well, saying: “I honestly feel that this is the group that can add some more numbers up there on that wall. This is the best team I’ve had in 17 years and we’re going all the way boys.”
Captain Chris Crowell was perhaps the happiest Viper, and his teammates loved seeing him celebrate.
“I thought we had a great team last year and we did, but this year’s team is deeper which doesn’t put so much pressure on us,” said Braden Pimm. “It’s great for Crow. Crow’s put in four long years and it’s finally paid off for him.”
Said Crowell: “We went through some adversity earlier in the year and we battled through it and this is where we are now. The journey’s not done yet though. We have one more round and then a little tournament to win.”
Williamson, a former Viper captain who played under Storm coach Mike Vandekamp, realizes he’s part of a special group.
“We got a bunch of great kids,” said Williamson. “It’s an unbelievable feeling. We’re not done yet, but at the same time, winning the BCHL is probably the toughest league to win. We always talk about the end of the year, at some time, the kids are gonna decide when enough’s enough. When you’ve got a tight-knit bunch like we do, they just love being around each other and they’re not going to want to go home and they’re going to battle until the end.”
On Grande Prairie, who swept the No. 1 nationally-rated Spruce Grove Saints for the AJHL title, Williamson expects typical Vandekamp hockey.
“We know what kind of team he’s going to have. They’re going to be well coached, they’re going to be physical, they’re going to have one scoring line and a whole bunch of muckers and grinders that are going to grind it out. He’ll have them well-prepared; they’re well-rested. But we’ll get our rest this week and we’ll be ready for them. I’m sure, knowing Vandy, they’ll come out flying. He’ll have them ready to go.”
And should the Storm try a different approach, Williamson believes the Snakes will respond.
“We’ve got the team to do anything. We have a skilled bunch and our backend’s really physical and our goaltender is really good. We’ve got a mix of everything.”
Game 2 goes Saturday night at Civic. If the teams split, Game 3 goes Sunday in Vernon. If one teams sweeps the opening two games, the series will finish in Grande Prairie.