Victoria Grizzlies Outwork Vernon Vipers:

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Victoria Grizzlies outwork Vernon Vipers

by Don Klepp | Added 2010-01-17

A strong performance by Madison Dias and the rest of the Victoria Grizzlies resulted in a 5-3 win over an error-prone Vernon Viper squad Saturday in Victoria.

From the outset, the Grizzlies showed how much they wanted to win this game after being steamrolled 8-2 in Vernon just before the Christmas break. Big hits by hulking Greg Pawlowski and Nick Buchanan set the tone, while the Vipers lacked their customary energy.

David Robinson, Braden Pimm, and Adam Thompson responded with physical play of their own, but the Viper offence didn’t kick into gear in the first period.

On the other hand, the Grizzlies forechecked and wheeled in the Viper zone. Their buzz saw tactics led to a power play that they converted at 14:38. Viper defencemen failed to contain big Michael Tebbutt during a scramble in front of Viper goalie Blake Voth, and Tebbutt poked the puck home.

In the second period, Victoria surged to a 3-0 lead. A Viper defenceman handed the puck to Jordan Heywood in the slot and the Victoria captain blasted a shot past Voth at 1:57. Then, exactly four minutes later lax play by Vipers on the power play gave Dustin Mowrey a partial break and his rocket from the right wing beat Voth, who was overwhelmed by Mowrey’s wicked slap shot. The short handed goal prompted Mark Ferner to call a time out.

Following the time out, the Vipers started to play tighter defensive hockey, but they still were unable to generate a sustained attack. That changed when former Grizzly, Jonathan Milhouse, scored on a brilliant individual effort. He stole the puck from Nick Buchanan at the red line and created an uncontested breakaway. He beat Holfeld at 14:01 and thus awakened the moribund Vipers.

Energized, the Jones twins fashioned a short handed goal of their own at 18:05. Together, they overwhelmed a Grizzly point man. In total mind synch, Connor and Kellen executed a clever combination play. As Kellen started to bank a pass off the boards, Connor jumped into the hole behind the last Grizzly defender and he was off to the races when Kellen’s pass came right to his stick. He then beat Holfeld five-hole.

The comeback was completed at 0:54 of the second period when David Robinson tracked down a Dan Nycholat pass behind the Grizzly net and found Braden Pimm for a five-foot one-timer.

Soon after, Dylan Walchuk and Rob Short came within an inch of giving the Vipers the lead. With one Grizzly defender back, Walchuk fed Short, who beat Holfeld only to see the puck go just wide of the left post. On another two-on-rush, Cole Ikkala’s shot barely missed.

The misses proved costly. At 9:29, Madison Dias took advantage of mistakes at the Viper blue line. Instead of banking the puck out to safety, the Viper forwards tried quick little passes just inside their line. Alex Allan and Brandon Fagerheim set up Dias for quick shot.

Then at 14:06 the Grizzlies gladly accepted another gift. After taking a pass from Steve Weinstein, Kevin Kraus bobbled the puck off the side of his net. Dustin Mowrey pounced on the gaffe and fed Alex Allan for an easy goal.

The Grizzlies won their fifth straight game, while the Viper winning streak was snapped at four.