Galley Sinks Vipers:

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Galley sinks Vipers

by Don Klepp | Added 2011-01-06

The Vernon Vipers will be happy to see the last of Wyatt Galley, who stopped 44 of 46 shots to lead his Langley Chiefs to a 3-2 win in Vernon in Thursday’s lone BCHL game.

Galley also played a strong game when Langley edged Vernon 5-4 in overtime in Langley on November 20. The teams meet just twice this season.

On Thursday, he was especially sharp in the third period as the Vipers outshot the visitors, 20-1. The Vipers had 11 scoring chances in the period, but Galley played his angles superbly and smothered rebounds. His point blank stops on Dylan Walchuk, Mike Zalewski, and David Robinson, among others, had the crowd buzzing.

Galley’s heroics made Darnell Dyck’s second period power play goal stand up as the winner. Dyck was set up by Brad McBride, who had a strong game for Langley.

McBride blew by a Viper defenceman on the left wing and found Dyck alone in the slot. Kirby Halcrow went down to block Dyck’s snap shot, but the rebound came directly to Dyck and he deposited a backhand past Halcrow.

McBride had opened the scoring just 15 seconds into the contest. On the right wing, he saw that Halcrow was back in his crease and he unleashed a hard low shot that found the far corner to Halcrow’s right.

After that initial shock, the Vipers bounced back to take the lead.

Darren Nowick tied the game at 9:25. The Viper fourth line of Nowick, Colton Sparrow, and Trevor Fitzgerald applied heavy pressure and Nowick finished the shift by roofing the puck over Galley’s left shoulder.

Mike Zalewski then put the Vipers ahead with a power play goal at 13:34.

Zalewski describes the goal this way: “It’s a set play where John Knisley and I go to our off wings fairly deep and the puck goes through Dylan [Walchuk] in the middle. We put together about four passes and I had an open net.”

The lead was squandered when the Vipers carelessly gave the puck away at their blue line. Josh Myers accepted the gift and walked in with a shot that Halcrow parried. After a second shot by Darnell Dyck and a mad scramble in front of the Viper net, Kit Sitterley found an opening for his 7th goal of the year.

Late in the opening period, Vernon had a golden opportunity to forge ahead when Bryce Kakoske’s shot seemed destined to enter a half open net, but Galley dived across for a spectacular save.

It wasn’t Kakoske’s night because he later left the game after taking a slap shot on the ankle. His status is questionable for the home and home series with Westside the next two nights.