Snakes Alive:

Snakes alive

By Con Griwkowsky, Edmonton Sun

Last Updated: April 18, 2010

SPRUCE GROVE — The Spruce Grove Saints lost a bit of their moxie as they dropped their last home game of the season Sunday night.

Cory Kane scored the game winner with 4:48 left in the second overtime, one-timing in Steven Weinstein’s pass from the right faceoff circle to give the Vernon Vipers a 3-2 win.

“Unbelievable,” said Kane. “I’ve never scored an OT winner and I’m all smiles right now. We got on the power play and I was just in the right place at the right time. He gave me a perfect pass, right in my wheelhouse and I put it in. For a split-second, I thought I was going to stop it. I just thought I might as well get it off. I didn’t want to fumble it or anything.

“It’s nice to get two wins here. That’s what we came here to do. We got the job done here and now we need to get two more.”

Spruce Grove’s Liam Darragh was in the penalty box on a hooking call that had the Spruce Grove fans loudly questioning the referee’s decision after they had let several calls go the other way.

It was the first time this season the Saints had lost two in a row, much less two straight at home. And, it was the first time in 10 playoff starts that goalie Vincenzo Marozzi lost.

“He was the best player on the ice,” said Spruce Grove coach Steve Hamilton, who may start Marozzi in Game 4. “He was great.”

The Vipers take a 2-1 lead in the Doyle Cup as the series swings into the B.C. interior for Game 4 Wednesday night.

“You come in here with a little of an unknown as far as the team you’re playing and the familiarity of the building,” said Vernon coach Mark Ferner. “We were just fortunate to get that last goal.”

Vernon’s Dylan Walchuk opened the scoring at 2:17 of the first before Josh Lazowski tipped in a point shot on a power play just 56 seconds into the second period.

Vernon went up 2-1 when Sahir Gill tapped in the puck at 11:15 of the second period.

With Marozzi on the bench, Spruce Grove’s Adam Henderson sent the game into overtime with 61 seconds left.

“They got momentum and we were just fortunate enough to win,” said Ferner. “We let them back in with a minute left in the game. It was a little bit deflating. We got the call the ref had to make and our power play came through for us.”

Now, the Saints face a daunting task of having to win the series in the unfriendly confines in Vernon while battling through an injury bug that has played havoc their lineup.

“I need to stay away from sharp objects and other dangerous situations right now because I really feel for the guys right now,” said Hamilton. “I’m not going to comment on the officiating because I can’t afford what it would cost me.

“The guys are pretty down and that’s a pretty natural emotion. They’re processing a tough loss. We’ll regroup in the morning.”

SLAP SHOTS: There was a moment of levity when a stick got stuck in the penalty box door late in the second period. After several attempts by the referee to dislodge the stick proved fruitless, the ref broke it off. But the door remained stuck until Darragh hipchecked the door open.