Vipers Derail Express:

Vipers derail Express

by Don Klepp -Oct 4, 2009

Adam Thompson’s howitzers from the point highlighted a Sunday afternoon tilt at Vernon’s Wesbild Centre as the Vipers eventually prevailed against the Burnaby Express, 4-2. The first period was scoreless, although Burnaby’s well-traveled goaltender, Harrison May, stopped Connor Jones on the doorstep, and Adam Thompson’s slap shot hit the inside of the post and somehow stayed out. In the period, the Vipers out shot the visitors 11- 4. The Vipers continued to outplay the Express in the second period, but Burnaby’s super sized Rich Manley opened the scoring at 3:45 of the middle frame. As he exited the penalty box, Manley picked up a loose puck at centre ice and roared in on Graeme Gordon. The veteran Viper goalie stayed with Manley across the crease, but the 6”5”, 230 pound native of Buffalo slid the puck under the sprawling net minder. With nine seconds remaining in the period, Dylan Walchuk somehow got free of Jimmy Geerin’s clutches to redirect a Dan Nycholat pass in the paint. The power play marker was the first Viper goal in over five periods of hockey. According to Viper coach Jason Williamson, the Walchuk goal was doubly important to the Vipers: “It reminded us that not all goals have to be fancy. Walchuk got it started with a greasy goal at the doorstep and it went from there. The guys just kept on working and we got some more blue collar goals.” As has been the case all season, the Vipers out shot the opposition by a decided margin, especially in the first two periods. Ironically, in a third period where the shot totals were close, the Vipers outscored their visitors 3-1. Mike Collins, the game’s first star, got the ball rolling at 6:15. In the midst of concerted pressure in the offensive zone, Jonathon Milhouse and Braden Pimm went hard to the net. Express goaltender Harrison May was unable to corral a rebound and the puck lay in the crease for what seemed an eternity as Pimm and Milhouse were wrapped up by Express defencemen. Finally, Collins got free of his man and poked the puck in. Soon after the Collins goal, an Adam Thompson rocket deflected off a Burnaby stick and shattered the glass behind May. A lengthy delay ensued as the glass was repaired and the ice was flooded. When play resumed, the teams exchanged chances before a Luke Challier goal at 10:42 knotted the score. In an exchange of luck, Konrad Sander was unfortunate to have his slap shot ricochet off the post to Gordon’s right, but the rebound bounced off Challier and into the net. The Vipers quickly regained the lead. One minute after the Express goal, Jonathon Milhouse fired one off Harrison May’s back after Braden Pimm and Mike Collins had each beaten May only to see the puck trickle wide. Referee Kris Hartley assessed Braden Pimm a hooking penalty with 1:41 remaining in the game, but the Express were unable to capitalize and they surrendered a short handed goal at 19:35. Dylan Walchuk intercepted a D to D pass at the blue line and dished to Mike Collins, whose 150-footer found the vacated Burnaby net. Once again, the Viper penalty kill was perfect at home, where their PK percentage is running at 96.15 percent. The home power play is operating at only 15 percent, but the Vipers did score once in tries in this game. Burnaby, which had been rolling before its three-game trip to the Interior Conference, salvaged only one point in the three games the Smoke Eaters beat the Express in overtime, last night in Trail. Rich Manley was named the game’s third star, but WHL refugee Matt Ius was Burnaby’s best player in this contest, with several bone crunching body checks and dangerous rushes. The Pimm line led the way for the Vipers, with Milhouse getting the second star and Collins the first star nomination. The three line mates combined for seven points in the contest.