Silverbacks Rally To Beat Vipers:

This is posted on the Vipers website:

Silverbacks rally to beat Vipers

by Don Klepp | Added 2010-11-13

For the second time in two nights, the Salmon Arm Silverbacks rallied to defeat the Vernon Vipers, this time by a score of 4-3.

On Friday, the ‘Backs made their move in the second period. On Saturday, they waited until the middle of the third period, scoring three times in two minutes to erase a 3-1 Viper lead.

The home team mounted their comeback with special teams play. At 7:15, the Vipers’ David Robinson was assessed a double minor for butt ending, and the Silverbacks scored 58 seconds later on a pretty three-way passing play that was finished at Bryton Udy’s crease by Jarryd Ten Vaanholt.

Incensed, the Vipers took a bench minor at that point, to give the Silverbacks a two-minute five-on-three advantage. Within 21 seconds the game was tied on Josh Manson’s rocket through traffic.

Brett Knowles scored the winner at 10:14, tipping Manson’s point shot past Udy. It went in the books as a short handed goal, just as four-on-four play turned into a brief Viper power play.

Earlier in the period, the Vipers had notched a power play marker and a short handed goal of their own.

At 2:40, penalty killer Bryce Kakoske picked up a loose puck at centre, wheeled into the Salmon Arm zone, and ripped a slap shot over Chase Martin’s shoulder.

Then, at 5:10 David Robinson banged in a rebound after Kyle Murphy had driven to the Salmon Arm goal where he was stopped by Martin.

Robinson’s goal was the second time the Viper captain had put his team in the lead. At 8:03 of the second period he opened the scoring, as he converted a rebound caused by Kyle Murphy’s net drive.

Devin Gannon equalized for the Silverbacks at 18:21. After Charlie Vasaturo had blocked a Viper clearing attempt, Gannon went behind the Viper net and faked a wraparound try. Then, from about 10 feet, he fired the puck over Bryton Udy’s right shoulder.

The two teams had battled through an exciting, but scoreless, first period. Both teams had chances but both Udy and Martin were very good for their teams. Martin was strong again in the second period, robbing David Robinson on two occasions.

Martin was beaten early in the period, but he was saved by Josh Manson, who dived behind his goaltender to sweep away the puck after John Knisley’s shot had gone through Martin and was sliding toward the goal line.

In the third, the Vipers fired 19 shots at Martin and many more were blocked by defenders, as the Vipers pressured their hosts except for the fateful two minutes that delivered a Silverback victory.

The Silverbacks will fell fortunate to earn four points on the weekend. On Friday, they won with two tainted goals and on Saturday they were outplayed save for brief stretches.

Again, specialty teams proved the difference: Salmon Arm had two power play goals on six chances, while the Vipers managed just one PPG, also on six chances.