Snakes surge After Early Siesta:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Snakes surge after early siesta

By Graeme Corbett - Vernon Morning Star

Published: January 24, 2010

The Vernon Vipers nearly hit the snooze button one too many times against the Westside Warriors Friday night at Wesbild Centre. After spotting the Warriors an early two-goal lead, and enduring a 15-minute coma, the Snakes woke up to stun Westside 3-2 before 2,200 B.C. Hockey League fans.

Defenceman Curtis Gedig (11th goal) collected the winner during a third-period powerplay, delivering a wrister through traffic that banked in off the post to beat netminder Kevin Jebson.

The two clubs tangled again Saturday night at Wesbild.

The Warriors (34-14-1-1), who iced the Surrey Eagles 4-1 Thursday night at Royal LePage Place, took advantage of a careless neutral zone turnover two minutes into the game. Westside’s Cole Wilson barreled in on an odd-man rush and threaded a gorgeous cross-ice pass to Cam Reid (22nd), who ripped his shot high blocker side past Graeme Gordon from the hash marks.

Westside kept pressing, but Gordon (27 saves) was sharp, stopping Kyle Singleton point blank with his left pad.

“We came out pretty flat. Coming back from a (five-game) road trip like that, we weren’t as focussed…and when we do that I have to be strong to hold the fort,” said Gordon.

“I haven’t been at my best since coming back from the (Christmas) break. I just refocused and switched up my pre-game routine. It started on the Island in the Cowichan (Valley Capitals) game and it has really helped me stay intense for the whole 60 minutes.”

When the 41-5-0-2 Vipers did get pressure, Jebson was steady for Westside. He got just enough of his blocker on defenceman Adam Thompson’s booming point shot to steer it wide. On the same shift, Braden Pimm deflected Dan Nycholat’s point shot just wide.

Alex Grieve made it 2-0 Warriors midway through the first period when he chipped a puck by a pinching d-man on a Viper powerplay. Going in on an odd-man rush, Grieve (20th) tried to go cross-ice, but had his pass hit a sprawling defenceman who then slid into the net.

The Vipers came alive late in the first frame and were rewarded when Connor Jones broke in on an odd-man rush, orbited 6-foot-5, 200-pound d-man Joel Woznikoski then set up David Robinson (6th) for a chip shot over Jebson with 34 seconds remaining in the period.

Having played with Jones and his twin brother Kellen at the World Junior A Challenge, Reid knows how relentless they can be.

“They definitely get under you skin because they work so hard. They’re always in your face when you’ve got the puck so you have to make fast decisions or go glass and out when they’re cycling like that.”

While not overly impressed with the Vipers’ early lack of intensity, head coach Mark Ferner credited his squad for finding another gear later on.

“Our guys faced some adversity there, but we got back to doing simple things. That goal at the end of the first period was huge for us. We had 40 minutes to get back to work and our guys did a pretty good job in the second and third period.”

The Vipers kept rolling in the final 40 minutes and were particularly effective in getting traffic in front of Jebson (34 saves).

“We’ve got to get pucks there with people going to the net,” said Ferner. “He’s going to stop what he sees, but regardless of whether the first one goes in or not, if we’ve got bodies going there we might get a couple scrambles and get our opportunities that way.”

Added Westside head coach Darren Yopyk: “They did a good job of creating traffic and the way the rules are called now you can’t really do much if they’re going to go to the front of the net.

“They skate and they come at you in waves and we’ve just got to continue to move the puck and play it simple. When we did that we were successful, but they took it to us and we couldn’t bounce back.”

Bryce Kakoske (12th) equalized for Vernon in the second period when a puck popped out from corner and he took a few strides before rifling a hard shot over Jebson’s left shoulder.

“I don’t know what it was tonight but we weren’t there at the start, but I’m sure glad we turned it around in the second,” smiled Kakoske, who earned first star.

Gaining momentum, the Vipers established a dizzying forecheck and began using their speed down low to draw Westside into penalty trouble. The Warriors earned five minors to Vernon’s one.

The Vipers’ Robbie Short appeared to have the winner early in the third frame when he tipped a point shot past Jebson, but referee Nick Swaine waived it off saying he used a high stick.

The Vipers now get a five-day rest before hosting the Powell River Kings (28-13-1-6) and Langley Chiefs (27-18-1-2) Friday and Saturday night respectively.