This is in todays Victoria Times Colonist:Vipers continue winning ways
By Cleve DheensawMay 3, 2009
The Vernon Vipers showed yesterday why many observers consider them the gilt-edged standard-setters of the 2009 RBC Cup national Junior ‘A’ tournament.
The B.C. Hockey League champions skated to a solid 4-2 victory over the Summerside Western Capitals in the opening game for both clubs before 1,514 fans at Bear Mountain Arena. The 38-21 shots advantage for Vernon was pretty much indicative of the play.
“We can’t be worrying about May 10 [TSN-televised championship game], because the process is way more important than the result,” said Vernon GM and head coach Mark Ferner.
This edition of the Vipers is only tangentially concerned about the potential record-setting aspects of the franchise’s quest in the 2009 RBC Cup. When you’re a teen player, even the 1990s are ancient history, which is where you can file the club’s past national titles from 1990, 1991, 1996 and 1999.
With a championship, Vernon would become the all-time winningest team in national Junior ‘A’ cup history with five. The franchise is currently tied with the Prince Albert Raiders with four national Junior ‘A’ crowns. That angle, however, is not completely lost on these Vipers.
“We look at those banners hanging in our arena and think to ourselves we want to put one up there, too,” said Vernon forward Kellen Jones, who assisted on the Vipers second goal. “It would be special if we do.”
Kellen’s twin brother Connor Jones scored twice and was named player of the game for the Vipers. The siblings, from Montrose, B.C., are committed to play in the NCAA for Quinnipiac University and were instrumental as the Vipers went 42-14-4 in the regular season before taking the BCHL playoff title and sweeping the Alberta Junior Hockey League champion Grande Prairie Storm in the Doyle Cup.
“There is no doubt
Vernon has a quick, solid team,” said strapping Summerside forward Brad Smith, player of the game for the Eastern region champions out of Prince Edward Island.
“But we came out extremely flat. If you do that at this calibre, it’s going to hurt you.”
And it did, as Vernon jumped into a lead on a goal by Braden Pimm before the game was 13 seconds old. The score was 4-0 at the end of the second period but Summerside showed some fight with third-period goals by Nathan Desroches and Mike MacIsaac.
“We’ve been down before in this playoff run but we have the type of tight team and character where we never doubt ourselves,” said Smith.
With four of the five teams making it through to the playoff round after the round-robin, no defeat is necessarily fatal in the first round.
“You can’t win the whole thing in Game 1, and you can’t lose the whole thing in Game 1,” said Summerside head coach Ken MacDougall. “But we were not prepared to play at the level needed today.”
By Cleve DheensawMay 3, 2009
The Vernon Vipers showed yesterday why many observers consider them the gilt-edged standard-setters of the 2009 RBC Cup national Junior ‘A’ tournament.
The B.C. Hockey League champions skated to a solid 4-2 victory over the Summerside Western Capitals in the opening game for both clubs before 1,514 fans at Bear Mountain Arena. The 38-21 shots advantage for Vernon was pretty much indicative of the play.
“We can’t be worrying about May 10 [TSN-televised championship game], because the process is way more important than the result,” said Vernon GM and head coach Mark Ferner.
This edition of the Vipers is only tangentially concerned about the potential record-setting aspects of the franchise’s quest in the 2009 RBC Cup. When you’re a teen player, even the 1990s are ancient history, which is where you can file the club’s past national titles from 1990, 1991, 1996 and 1999.
With a championship, Vernon would become the all-time winningest team in national Junior ‘A’ cup history with five. The franchise is currently tied with the Prince Albert Raiders with four national Junior ‘A’ crowns. That angle, however, is not completely lost on these Vipers.
“We look at those banners hanging in our arena and think to ourselves we want to put one up there, too,” said Vernon forward Kellen Jones, who assisted on the Vipers second goal. “It would be special if we do.”
Kellen’s twin brother Connor Jones scored twice and was named player of the game for the Vipers. The siblings, from Montrose, B.C., are committed to play in the NCAA for Quinnipiac University and were instrumental as the Vipers went 42-14-4 in the regular season before taking the BCHL playoff title and sweeping the Alberta Junior Hockey League champion Grande Prairie Storm in the Doyle Cup.
“There is no doubt
Vernon has a quick, solid team,” said strapping Summerside forward Brad Smith, player of the game for the Eastern region champions out of Prince Edward Island.
“But we came out extremely flat. If you do that at this calibre, it’s going to hurt you.”
And it did, as Vernon jumped into a lead on a goal by Braden Pimm before the game was 13 seconds old. The score was 4-0 at the end of the second period but Summerside showed some fight with third-period goals by Nathan Desroches and Mike MacIsaac.
“We’ve been down before in this playoff run but we have the type of tight team and character where we never doubt ourselves,” said Smith.
With four of the five teams making it through to the playoff round after the round-robin, no defeat is necessarily fatal in the first round.
“You can’t win the whole thing in Game 1, and you can’t lose the whole thing in Game 1,” said Summerside head coach Ken MacDougall. “But we were not prepared to play at the level needed today.”
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