Vipers Too Quick For Millionaires:

Vipers too quick for millionaires

by don klepp Added 2009-10-16

Six first-period goals by six different shooters propelled the Vernon Vipers to a 9-1 win in Quesnel Thursday. Showing no evidence of bus legs, the Vipers caused several turnovers in the opening period and turned them into scores. The first came at 1.02. After Jonathon Milhouse had stopped a Millionaire at centre ice, Kevin Kraus stepped over the blue line and fired a high slap shot that goalie Kirby Halcrow was unable to stop with his blocker. At 3.36, a Jones line cycle culminated with Connor Jones wheeling out of the corner and ripping a wrist shot over Halcrow’s left shoulder. Then, 22 seconds later, following sustained pressure, Braden Pimm knocked in a loose puck that Halcrow was unable to smother. Four scoring chances and six shots had led to three scores. At that point Glen Watson inserted rookie Luke Siemens in goal, but the 17-year-old received no more support than Halcrow, and the Vipers scored three goals on eight shots, which prompted Watson to send Halcrow back in net. Cory Kane, Bryce Kakoske, and Drew George scored in a two-minute span so Vernon had a six-goal lead after just 11.58 of the opening frame. The Millionaires seemed unable to cope with the Vipers’ quickness as they were continually beaten to the puck in the first period. Shots on goal were 19-4, and the Vipers had 10 scoring chances while Quesnel had just one. The rest of the game was anticlimactic. The Millionaires opened the second period with more determination and they out shot the Vipers 22 to 21 over the final 40 minutes. However, they were unable to beat Graeme Gordon until 16.50 of the third period. Skyler Smutek slipped a one-timer through Gordon’s pads while Quesnel enjoyed a two-man advantage. Dan Nycholat had been sent off for initiating a fight with Brett Howe after Howe hit Graeme Gordon behind the net. Strangely, referee Jim Storey declined to penalize Howe’s hit on Gordon, but Storey did assess Kevin Kraus a cross-checking infraction soon after. Before Quesnel’s consolation goal, the Vipers had added to their lead with a Patrick McGillis conversion of a rebound in the second period. It was his first BCHL goal, to go with his first BCHL earned by an assist on Drew George’s goal. In the third, Dan Nycholat’s power play goal, his first as a Viper, was matched by a Connor Jones power play marker. The Vipers finished 3 for 6 with the man advantage, while the Mills went 1 for 8. The Vipers moved one point head of Penticton with the win, with a game in hand that will be made up in Williams Lake on Friday night.

Game Notes:

• Dan Nycholat earned a “Gordie Howe hat trick” with his goal, his fight, and an assist on the McGillis goal.
• Darrin Robak (healthy scratch), Adam Thompson, and Cole Ikkalla sat out for the Vipers. Brenden Persley has been re-assigned to the Jr. B Penticton Lakers.
• The Vipers maintained their record of outs hooting all opponents this season, while limiting opponents to 29 or fewer shots. During their current five-game winning streak they have outscored the opposition 33 to 5.