Vernon Meets Salmon Arm In Interior Conference Final:

Vernon meets Salmon Arm in Interior Conference Final

Thursday, March 17, 2011 - Submitted by BCHL MEDIA

The heated rivalry between the Salmon Arm SilverBacks and the Vernon Vipers will continue as the two clubs will meet in the Interior Conference Finals with game one going Friday night in Vernon.

Salmon Arm comes into the series after a four-game series sweep over the Merritt Centennials and a five-game series win over the Penticton Vees, which saw goaltender Kris Moore emerge as a top playoff performer posting a 4-1 record with a goals-against average of just 2.00 and a save percentage of .948.

“The key to success [for Vernon] is going to be figuring out how to solve Kris Moore,” says Vernon Morning Star sports reporter Graeme Corbett who covers the Vipers. “He was the difference in the series against Penticton.”

The Vipers are coming off a 4-2 series victory over the Westside Warriors after earning a first-round bye and have been relying on an unlikely source to fuel their offence.

“The fourth line was the Vipers’ best line in the series against Westside,” said Corbett.

Vernon’s fourth liners, rookies Colton Sparrow, Trevor Fitzgerald and Aaron Hadley, combined for 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in the series against Westside. Sparrow had five points himself.

Corbett expects a breakthrough series coming from a couple of veterans though.

“I think you have to watch out for David Robinson and Kyle Murphy in the next round,” he says. “Murphy was all over the ice last series, he’s the kind of guy that might score 15-20 goals in a season but he’ll keep another 30 out.”

Moore and the rest of the Salmon Arm squad have given the Vipers a lot of trouble this year winning seven of eight matchups during the regular season and outscoring the Vipers 29-19 in those games.

But the old saying goes, ‘Defence wins championships’, and no one knows this better than the Vernon Vipers who are 11-time Fred Page Cup winners and six-time national champions. Salmon Arm play-by-play man Patrick Haas has seen the Vipers Interior Conference dynasty unfold.

“The Vipers play a very solid defensive game and it’s no secret that’s why they have success,” says Haas, who called the 2009 conference final between the two teams that Vernon won in six games. “I remember two years ago when these teams met in the conference finals, it was great hockey and every game both rinks were jam packed, so it should be a renewal of a great rivalry.”

These teams are quite familiar with each other, as the close proximity between the two cities has fueled a great rivalry since Salmon Arm joined the league 10 seasons ago.

“Whenever Salmon Arm comes into town, it’s always a good game and because both teams are so close together, attendance is usually great,” says Corbett.

This installment of the rivalry will get underway on Friday when the puck drops at 7 p.m. at the Wesbild Centre in Vernon.