Vipers Even Series In Salmon Arm:

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Vipers even series in Salmon Arm

by Don Klepp | Added 2011-03-23

revor Fitzgerald’s goal near the end of the second period proved to be the winner as the Vernon Vipers evened their series with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks with a 3-2 win in Salmon Arm on Tuesday.

In a coincidence worthy of a presentation at a numerology conference, Fitzgerald, who wears number 26, scored just 26 seconds after Malcolm Lyles had tied the game at 18:39. The Vipers showed resilience after Bryce Gervais had scored twice to give the Silverbacks a 2-1 lead earlier in the period.

Still earlier, Marcus Basara had staked the Vipers to a 1-0 lead in the first period. Dylan Walchuk, the game’s first star, found Patrick McGillis on the left wing. Two steps over the Salmon Arm blue line, McGillis fired a shot on the short side that Kris Moore kicked straight back to McGillis.

The speedy winger then fired to the far side and the puck went off Basara’s stick at 5:28.

For the fourth straight game, the Vipers used their speed and quickness in the early going to pen the ‘Backs in. The ‘Backs responded with some heavy hitting, including a head-high blind side hit by Brett Knowles that dropped Bryce Kakoske. Jayson Reardon also played a physical style for the home team, who were much more intense than in their previous night’s loss.

Heavy hitting by both teams and spirited end-to-end action carried on into the second period, which saw no more scoring until 11:25, when Bryce Gervais took matters into his own hands.

His first goal was a goal scorer’s special. Although defenceman Adam Thompson had Gervais in tight coverage, the Salmon Arm rookie ripped a wrist shot that found the top corner over Kirby Halcrow’s glove.

At 16:07 Gervais scored another beauty. Seeing that Malcolm Lyles had pinched a bit too far, Charlie Vasaturo issued a breakaway pass and Gervais tucked a backhand under Halcrow.

Lyles made up for his miscalculation by hammering a slap shot through traffic at 18:39. Fired up, the Vipers won the ensuing faceoff and swarmed the Silverback zone. Fitzgerald was playing with Mike Zalewski and Darren Nowick because John Knisley had left for repairs to his right ear after being hit with a high pass.

After Nowick and Zalewski had won puck battles on the end boards, Fitzgerald tried to tuck in the puck on the short side. He got his own rebound and beat Moore to the other side.

At 19:43 David Robinson took a hooking penalty, but Malcolm Lyles scored short handed after yeoman work by Dylan Walchuk as the clock ran down. After initially signalling a goal, the officials gathered in a tight circle and then disallowed the goal, saying that time had run out.

Matters were complicated because of a malfunction to the red light/green light system that doesn’t allow the red goal light to come on when time has run out.

The power play carried into the third period, but the Silverbacks were unable to capitalize. Indeed, each team had five power plays but came up empty on each one because of superb penalty killing.

Both goalies were very good in this game, although Kirby Halcrow had perhaps the more spectacular saves. He dived across to rob Jarryd TenVaanholt during a first period power play when TenVaanholt seemed certain to find a half open net.

Halcrow also fashioned a superb save on a Paul DeJersey one-timer in the second, and with five minutes left in the game, Halcrow stymied a Brett Knowles bull rush on the goal line.

Coach Jason Williamson was pleased with his team’s performance: “I thought both teams played well. Our guys gave it everything they had, up and down the lineup, for the full 60 minutes. You can’t ask for much more than that.”

So now the Interior Division final becomes a best-of-three series with games in Vernon on Thursday and in Salmon Arm on Friday. If a seventh game becomes necessary, it will be played in Vernon on Saturday.

Game Notes:

• The game continued a trend established throughout the Interior Division playoffs, as the winning team registered the first goal.

• After goals on four straight power plays earlier in the series, the potent Silverback power play has been blanked in 10 straight man advantage situations.

• Sparkplug Brett Knowles was kept off the score sheet for the first time in this series. He leads the Silverbacks with 19 playoff points.

• With his first period assist, Patrick McGillis continues to lead the Vipers with 10 playoff points in 10 games.