Vipers Bounce Back To Beat Silverbacks:

Vipers bounce back to beat Silverbacks

by Don Klepp - Nov 4, 2009

For the first time in 19 games so far this season, the Vernon Vipers trailed after the first period, but they recovered to defeat the host Salmon Arms Silverbacks, 4-3

Thanks to the stellar goaltending of Tony Ierfino, the Silverbacks took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, despite being out shot 15-6. The 20-year old Quebec native was particularly sharp during a Viper two-man advantage that lasted for nearly two minutes halfway through the period.

Against the run of play, the Silverbacks struck for goals at 15.07 and 16.37. First, Charlie Vasaturo intercepted an errant Viper clearing attempt and threw the puck toward the net. David Killip directed the disk downward for his 16th goal of the campaign. Then, Tyler Gubb directed Mark Zengerle’s centering pass between Graeme Gordon’s pads for a two-goal lead.

The second period saw the two teams play evenly, but the Vipers scored the only two goals of the period. Jonathon Milhouse, the game’s first star, used his speed to create a short-handed chance. He outraced Jagger Dirk to collect Kevin Kraus’s clearance and then beat Ierfino close in at 5.03.

Sawyer Mick, who played briefly for Salmon Arm as an affiliate player last year, tied the game with a wrist shot about a minute after Milhouse’s tally. Mick’s long shot beat Ierfino, who appeared to be screened on the play. The goal capped a strong physical game by Mick, whose solid body checks set the tone for the Viper comeback.

A big save by Graeme Gordon early in the third period set the stage for a Viper go-ahead goal. While on the power play, the Vipers were bottled up in their own end and Gordon was forced into a desperation save on Tyler Gubb. On the subsequent Viper rush, Jon Milhouse fed Bryce Kakoske for a screened wrist shot that went in for Kakoske’s fourth goal of the season.

The eventual winner came off the stick of Dylan Walchuk. Erik Soderlund fired a low, hard shot from the point and Walchuk tipped it past Ierfino. Walchuk now has 9 goals and 15 assists in his rookie BCHL season.

However, the Silverbacks kept on plugging and they were rewarded with Greg Noyes’s power play goal at 15.49, on another setup by Zengerle. The Noyes goal made for an exciting last four minutes, but Graeme Gordon was solid in the Viper goal. Indeed, the save of the night came when he robbed Travis Statchuk on a back door play during another Viper penalty.

Game Notes:

• All three of this year’s games between Salmon Arm and Vernon have been decided by one goal. Vernon has won all three.

• In the absence of the Jones twins, the Vipers dressed Patrick McGillis, Drew George, and seven defencemen. The defence corps went down by one man when Kevin Kraus was ejected for a check from behind at 7.07 of the second period.

• Mark Zengerle continued his torrid scoring pace with two more assists and the league scoring leader at 47 points.