Vipers Capture BCHL Crown:

Vipers capture BCHL crown

by Don Klepp - Apr 13, 2009

The Vernon Vipers are BC Hockey League Champions. Vernon's 2-1 victory over Powell River Kings Sunday earned the Vernon franchise its eighth BCHL Championship, its first since 2003. In the six-game series, the Vipers outscored the Coastal champions 18-10. Few would have predicted that the high-scoring Kings would be held to an average of less than two goals per game, or that the potent King power play would go just 2-23 during the six games. Much credit goes to goaltender Andrew Hammond and his blue liners, Kyle Bigos, Cam Brodie, Cody Ikkala, Kevin Krause, Mike Leidl, and Adam Thompson. In addition, the four lines of Viper forwards worked hard to implement head coach Mark Ferner’s defence-first system. The Viper commitment to five-man defense was particularly apparent in the first and third periods of the deciding game, as Powell River was held to just three shots on goal in each of those periods. Another stat that confirms the Viper ability to shut down teams is the team’s record when taking a lead into the third period. In the playoffs, the Vipers won all 10 games that they led after two periods. And, in the 44 games this season when they have led after two periods, the Vipers have won 42 games, tied 1, and lost 1 in overtime. Prior to Sunday’s contest, the team that scored the first goal of each game of this BCHL final series had gone on to win that game, and that trend continued on Sunday. Just five seconds after a Viper power play had ended, defenceman Adam Thompson scored from a goal mouth scramble. Cory Kane and Mike Collins, each of whom drew assists on the play, had been denied in close by Carsen Chubak before Thompson swooped in from the point to join the fray at 15:08. The Vipers dominated much of the first period while creating 9 scoring chances. The Kings, who looked like the Vipers had in the first period of Friday’s Powell River victory, generated just one scoring chance. Vernon jumped into a 2-0 lead at 5:47 of the second period, thanks to Braden Pimm’s short-handed tally. When Cam Brodie’s banked pass off the left boards eluded Jordan Gallea at centre ice, Pimm raced by the King defender, collected the puck, swept laterally past Carsen Chubak’s crease, and scored through Chubak’s pads. At that point, the 2269 Viper faithful began to seriously contemplate a Viper win, but the Kings had other ideas. All period long, they worked hard on the fore check to generate chances in the Viper zone and their hard work paid off at 14:53. Cam Brodie had a chance to clear along the left boards, but he elected to turn and protect the puck. Neil Chambers then stripped the puck and fed Andrew Pettit, who stuffed through Andrew Hammond’s pads. However, despite having several good chances in the period, the Kings were unable to solve Hammond again. Hammond, who finished the BCHL playoff run with a goals-against average of just 1:50, made a sparkling skate save on Niddery in close, to keep the Kings from knotting the score late in the period. From that point on, the Vipers played shutdown hockey and the Kings were left to rue their missed opportunities. The Doyle Cup between the Vipers and the Grande Prairie Storm begins Friday and Saturday in Vernon. If the teams split the two games, a third game will take place in Vernon at 7 pm Sunday. If one team wins the first two contests, the series will move to Grande Prairie for the rest of the 7-game series. The winner will advance to the RBC Cup in Victoria, May 2-10.