Vipers Silence Bulldogs:

Vipers silence Bulldogs

by Don Klepp -Oct 12, 2009

The visiting Alberni Valley Bulldogs were barking early in their game with the Vipers in Vernon Sunday afternoon, but the Vipers muzzled the ‘Dogs from the middle of the first period, en route to a 4-1 win. To open the game, ex-Viper Trent Dorais played on a line with Warren Muir and Sam Mitchell. That Alberni Valley line forechecked like crazy and their energy paid off for the ‘Dogs with Muir’s scrappy goal at 9:31. That lead was short lived. One minute after the Bulldog goal, the Vipers used their own forecheck to hem in the visitors and Rob Short’s low slapper banked off a defender, between goalie Frank Slubowski’s skates. At that point, the play had been relatively even, as evidenced by the shots on goal, 10 for each team. However, from then until the end of the period, the Vipers out shot the Bulldogs 6 to 0, and the shot total in the second period was 14 to 3. The Viper speed and ability to create turnovers posed all sorts of trouble for the game Bulldogs, who began to wilt. The Vipers’ pressure paid off in the second period as they salted the game away with three goals. The scoring resumed at 2:41 when Slubowski was unable to hold a long shot from Nick Amies who had jumped up from his defense position. Then, at the midway point of the period, Jonathon Milhouse slipped a low, accurate shot past Slubowski following a precise cross-ice pass from Braden Pimm. Dylan Walchuk concluded the scoring at 17:52 with a hard shot from the slot. Walchuk came on to replace Braden Pimm and found himself on a line rush with Mike Collins and Jonathon Milhouse. As the trio crossed the blue line, an Alberni defender blocked a pass, but Walchuk jumped on the loose puck and ripped it past Slubowski. This game could have seen a higher score: the Vipers hit three goal posts. Also, Slubowski made several excellent stops with Vipers on his doorstep in the second period. To start the third, Sean Lewan took over in the Alberni Valley net, and he also made three sterling stops among his nine saves. Final shot totals were Vipers 39, Bulldogs 20. The Vipers also out chanced the islanders, 15 to 6. The only statistic that favoured the Bulldogs was body checking they recorded 24 hits compared to the Vipers’ 22 hits. Many of the hits on both sides were real thumpers, and the physical play led to two third-period fights. First, Garrett Noonan squared off with Alberni Valley’s Tyler Berkholtz, and then Kevin Kraus tangled with Matt Hatch in a rather spirited affair. The loss, which was the Bulldogs’ second in their three-game Interior Division swing, drops the team to fourth place in the Coastal Conference, while the 11-1 Vipers are now one point back of first place Penticton with two games in hand.