Vipers Win Team Of The Year:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Vipers Rule

The Vipers, who won a second straight national junior A hockey title, also took Team of the Year for the second straight year. They were represented at the ceremony by owner Duncan Wray, assistant coach Jason Williamson, captain Rob Short and trainer Gord Cochrane.

Said Wray, who has won four Royal Bank crowns: "I was just looking at the trophy and it seems every year we win the national championship, we win the Team of the Year award, which is a great recognition for what we've done. I'm extremely proud of these kids and I'm extremely proud of the coaching staff. They were the guys responsible for all the hard work that they put in."

Short, 20, of Coldstream, accepted the trophy as he gets set to pursue a pro hockey career.

"It's obviously nice," he said. "Last year, we never expected to win it. We were up against a team (Seaton Sonics boys volleyball) that was undefeated the whole year, 110 and 0, or something like that. This year, it's great to win it again, to be recognized. It makes it feel like we earned it last year and we got it back this year. This was the only one that could have got away and we got it."

Added Williamson, who just got back from working a hockey camp in Newfoundland:

"It definitely feels good. Obviously, being up against the Paralympic team which did a great job representing Vernon and our country too, it's a huge honour to be able to win this honour and represent our city well. Obviously, our guys do a good job each and every year."

The Vipers won the Fred Page Cup as B.C. Hockey League champions, disposing of the Powell River Kings in six games. Vernon was 51-6-0-3 in the regular season, just short of the franchise record for points.

The Vipers defeated the Alberta League champion Spruce Grove Saints in a seven-game Doyle Cup regional series to advance to the national tournament in Dauphin, Man., where they ambushed the host Kings 8-1 in the gold-medal game.

Also nominated was the Paralympic Team, including Gaudet, Forrest, sit skier Josh Dueck and Mehain.

Directors for the North Okanagan Athlete and Team of the Year awards are: Dan Currie, Peter McIntyre, Kevin Mitchell, Ken Richardson, Peter Roberts, Betty Selin and John Topping.