Vipers Bow In Overtime Again:

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Vipers bow in overtime again

by Don Klepp | Added 2010-10-30

Two tired teams duked it out at the Wesbild Centre in Vernon, with the Victoria Grizzlies defeating the Vipers 3-2 in double overtime.

Both teams pulled into Vernon about 4 am, Vernon from Quesnel and Victoria from Trail. Both teams displayed energy at times, but they also coughed up the puck more often than usual.

In the first minute of the game, a Viper letdown allowed sniper Dustin Johnson to rattle the puck off Blake Voth’s post.

The Grizzlies were the better team in the early going, but then the Vipers started to exert pressure and Victoria’s Matt Ginn had to be very sharp. He also was fortunate on several occasions as the puck bounced around in the crease.

Ginn made a superb blocker save on a rising Dylan Walchuk shot with four minutes left in the period and then he absolutely robbed a Viper with two seconds remaining.

Despite being out shot 13-7, Victoria went into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead. The first came at 9:50 when Joel Lowry picked the top corner after a good forecheck by David Morley and Pearce Eviston.

A strange power play goal by Madison Dias extended the lead. A shot bounced off the back glass and settled to the right of Blake Voth, who didn’t see it. Dias swooped in to poke it in.

In the second, the Vipers had numerous chances while out shooting the visitors 15-5, but could manage just one goal. On at least five occasions, they had Ginn at their mercy but shot wide or into the goaltender.

Also, Ginn made several game savers on good Viper shots. On one shift with a minute remaining in the period, Ginn somehow stopped shots by Kakoske, Murphy, and Robinson.

Malcolm Lyles did get the Vipers on the board with a hard wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle at 6:42. Max Mowat set up Lyles with a nice cross-ice pass.

In Friday evening in Quesnel, the Vipers mounted a third period comeback, and they duplicated the feat on Saturday.

In Quesnel with the game on the line, Mark Ferner placed Dylan Walchuk with John Knisley and Mike Zalewski, and Zalewski scored a late winner. That combination struck again at 11:25 of the third period to tie the game at 2-2.

The rest of the period kept the Viper fans on the edge of their seats as the teams traded chances. Both goaltenders were spectacular at times, with Ginn getting more work.

The Vipers wasted a golden opportunity to go ahead when Pearce Eviston’s vicious hit from behind on Bryce Kakoske earned Eviston a five-minute major and a game ejection.

Good Grizzly defending and a series of Viper miscues meant the Vipers wasted their opportunity.

Victoria had a late power play of their own, but Blake Voth was solid. Then, Matt Ginn wowed the fans with a succession of brilliant saves and the game moved to overtime.

The Grizzlies started the first overtime buzzing in the Viper zone, and the home team was strong in the latter stages, but nothing was decided so the game went to three-on-three hockey in the second overtime.

Big saves by both goalies characterized the first minute of the second OT as the play was wide open. Ginn had the biggest save, robbing Dylan Walchuk.

Finally, Sean Robertson decided the contest with an 8-foot backhand shot that squeaked through Blake Voth’s pads at 3:58.

Game Notes:

• Matt Ginn earned the first star of the contest, stopping 40 of 42 shots, many of them point blank.

• The Grizzlies won their third overtime contest this season, while the Vipers lost their fourth overtime decision versus one OT win.