Jones Sparks Snakes:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Jones sparks Snakes

Published: January 10, 2010

Connor Jones would easily be forgiven had he chosen to sit out the Vernon Vipers’ Friday night tilt against the Westside Warriors. Still suffering from the lingering effects of strep throat, something that sidelined him for the Snakes’ first two games of the new year, the Montrose, B.C. product instead jumped back in the lineup and ended up turning in a first-star performance.

Jones posted back-to-back shorthanded goals and added one assist as the Vipers stopped the Warriors 4-1 before 1,400 B.C. Hockey League fans.

“It was a tough first period back. It took a while to get my hands and my thinking right,” said Jones, 19. “But I’m pretty much back to normal, maybe a little bit tired from not playing as much.”

After an evenly-played, scoreless first period – shots were 8-8 – Jones opened the scoring midway through the second frame on a play started by Vipers’ forward David Robinson, who forced a turnover in Vernon’s end. Jones (25th goal) poked the puck past a Westside defender then squeaked a shot through netminder Kevin Jebson (31 saves).

“I just tried to get it off real quick and surprise him,” said Jones. “Like Sean Bonar (Penticton Vees’ starter), if he sees the puck, he’s going to stop it 99 per cent of the time.

“Our goals were pretty greasy, but we’ll take them,” added Jones, chuckling.

Added Vipers’ head coach Mark Ferner: “We were going to give him another day off but he said he was ready to go.”

Jones’ twin brother, Kellen, is still recovering from a broken jaw, and is in the process of getting fitted for a custom face shield. Ferner was uncertain when Kellen would return to action.

Jones (26th) collected his second shorty just 15 seconds into the third period after he stripped Warriors’ sniper Cam Reid and again surprised Jebson, who has made a habit of playing big against the Vipers.

Said Ferner: “He got a piece of everything that went in and he made some key saves early.”

“They’re a quality team but they’re pretty banged up right now,” added Ferner, noting that key forwards Grayson Downing and Brendan Ellis were both missing from the Westside lineup.

Ferner also rated rookie keeper Adam Voth, who made 20 stops in his second straight start, and anticipated the Herbert, Sask. product would go again Saturday night when the Vipers (36-4-0-2) hosted the Williams Lake Timberwolves (9-29-1-0).

Robbie Short (13th) made it 3-0 at 3:53 of the third period when Jones sprung him on a breakaway.

Max French (7th) collected the lone goal for Westside (29-13-1-1) at 15:11, but Robinson, scoring his first goal for the Vipers since the 2006-07 playoffs, added an empty-netter with three seconds remaining.

“When we’re simple, we’re good,” said Ferner. “Whenever we try to do too much, that’s when we get into trouble.”

The Snakes leave early this week for a five-game road trip on Vancouver Island, starting Wednesday night as they take on the BCHL’s best in the All-Star Game at Frank Crane Arena in Nanaimo.

They then face the host Nanaimo Clippers (16-17-1-9) Friday night.

Ferner was uncertain as to when Vernon would get to play their make-up game against the Powell River Kings. Foul weather and power outages stopped their scheduled game in November.