Vipers Edge Warriors:

This is posted on the Vipers website:

Vipers edge Warriors

by Don Klepp | Added 2011-11-08

In a tight checking game in Vernon on Tuesday, the Vipers shaded the hard working Westside Warriors, 2-1.

Jedd Soleway’s third period goal looked to be an insurance marker, but it proved to be the winner when Tyler Krause knocked in a loose puck during a mad scramble with 53 seconds left in the game. The Warriors had called Steve Racine to the bench to set up a 6 on 4 advantage.

In the first period, Krause had nearly scored the game’s opening goal when he beat Kirby Halcrow with a shot that skimmed off the crossbar.

Both teams played solid defence in this game, putting sticks in lanes and back checking as if it were a playoff game. Still, there were scoring chances, 16 by the Vipers and 9 by the Warriors.

Westside out shot their hosts 30-26 in the contest, but many of those shots were from the outside. Coach Jason Williamson said that his team “did a good job tonight of keeping Westside to the outside. We don’t mind giving up 30 shots if they’re not in prime scoring areas.”

He added, “I thought both teams competed very hard tonight. Their APs played well, as did our fourth line of Connor Hartley, Riley Hunt, and our AP, Chris Desrochie.”

The Warriors had four affiliated players in the lineup, Dylan Rota, TJ Dumonceaux, Braeden Monk, and Devon Hascarl. All are forwards who were replacing regulars Shawn Hochhausen, Max French, Richard Vanderhoek, and Seb Lloyd.

The Vipers dressed just 17 skaters, including five defencemen, because they were unable to find APs to replace Brett Corkey and Luke Juha who are the World Jr. A Challenge.

For a very long time, it seemed that neither team would allow a goal. Other than Krause’s near miss in the first, most of the chances in the opening 20 minutes came on two Viper power plays.

In the second period, both Geoff Crisfield and Peter McMullen fired the puck over the net with goalie Steve Racine at their mercy. When the first goal finally came, it resulted from a fine display of skill by Vernon’s John Knisley.

The second-year Viper stick handled through the Westside defensive zone, went behind the net, came to the blue line, turned back toward the net through the middle, and found Mike Zalewski for a one-timer at 18:51.

A similar play gave the Vipers a two goal lead at 5:13 of the final period. Aided and abetted by Peter McMullen, Alex Hagen stole the puck near the Westside blue line, beat two defenders, went behind the net, and fed an unmarked Jedd Soleway in front of Racine.

Later, Kirby Halcrow stoned Michael King, who had beaten three defenders on a solo rush during a Warriors power play. In stopping 29 of 30 shots, Halcrow bounced back from a forgettable effort in Saturday’s 5-4 loss to Chilliwack.