Chiefs Overwhelm Vipers In Third:

This is posted on the Vipers website:

Chiefs overwhelm Vipers in third

by Don Klepp | Added 2011-10-15

After the visiting Vernon Vipers opened the scoring in the third period in Chilliwack on Friday, the Chiefs responded with four goals to bury the previously undefeated Vipers 4-1.

Tyler Miller scored the winner on the power play with a screened point shot that deflected upward from a Viper stick at 7:03. Miller’s goal came after Kit Sitterley had equalized at 5:34.

The Sitterley goal came from goalie Kirby Halcrow’s only mistake in the contest. Chris Blessing’s shot from the left wing missed the net to Halcrow’s right and came off the back boards to the goalie’s left. Sitterley was there to shovel the puck through Halcrow, who had overplayed the original shot and could not regain his balance to get square to the second shot.

That goal gave the Chiefs heart and they came in waves from that point on. At 9:24, David Bondra, son of NHLer Peter Bondra, ripped a shot to the top corner after a fierce Chief forecheck had the Vipers scrambling in their zone.

Jaret Babych, son of former NHL defenceman Dave Babych, finished the scoring at 12:50 with a perfect shot that found the inside of Halcrow’s left post about a foot off the ice.

All four Chilliwack lines played hard in this contest, limiting Viper scoring chances, and virtually eliminating second chance shots. Part of that success resulted from a Viper effort that seemed distracted at times.

The Chiefs’ third period outburst came as a surprise because the game had been pretty even until the Miller goal. Although the hosts outworked the Vipers at times in the opening two periods, scoring chances were 7-7 in the first 40 minutes.

The Chiefs had the early jump and felt that they had scored in the first minute when Kit Sitterley believed he had poked the puck under Kirby Halcrow. However, the red light did not go on and referee Jim Storey’s consultation with his linesmen resulted in “no goal.”

Both goalies made big stops in the first 20 minutes; Mitch Gillam denied Mike Zalewski who came in while penalty killing and Kirby Halcrow stoned Chris Blessing on another partial breakaway.

That pattern continued in the second. Halcrow robbed Josh Hansen on a bang-bang play at the goalmouth and then took a goal away from Malcolm Gould. Later in the period, Gillam stuffed Darren Nowick’s breakaway attempt.

When Nowick broke the goose egg with a hard, accurate shot from the right wing at 3:46, it looked like the Vipers might shepherd the game home for their eighth straight win. However, they relaxed with the lead and the hungry Chiefs took advantage.