Silverbacks Accept Viper Gifts:

This is posted on the Vipers website:

Silverbacks accept Viper gifts

by Don Klepp | Added 2011-12-30

The Salmon Arm Silverbacks recovered from a pair of two-goal deficits in the first period to down the error-prone Vernon Vipers 7-4 on Thursday in Salmon Arm.

The Kennedy twins, Brendan and Jeff, led the charge for the Silverbacks, scoring once each and playing a physical game against a Viper team who played well for the first half of each of the first and third periods but who were lacklustre for the other 40 minutes.

After dominating the opening several shifts, Vernon took a 2-0 lead on goals by Ben Gamache and Mike Zalewski. At 2.37, Gamache popped in a rebound after shots by Dylan Walchuk and Jedd Soleway had goalie Kurt Williams scrambling.

Zalewski’s power play marker at 7:00 followed consistent Viper pressure. However, Bennett Hambrook’s innocent point shot eluded Kirby Halcrow 27 seconds later and the Silverbacks had some life.

A second Viper power play goal, Darren Nowick’s neat deflection of Brett Corkey’s slap pass at 10:07, restored the two-goal lead, but the ‘Backs answered with Brendan Kennedy’s long point shot at 12:24. Then, the Viper defence lost its bearings.

A series of Viper giveaways and missed defensive assignments left Kody Dhaliwal alone for an easy goal at 16:06 and the teams were knotted at 3-3.

The ‘Backs continued to press in the second period and the Vipers continued to play loose defence. The net result was a three-goal Silverback outburst in the middle frame.

Morgan Zulinick, Brett Knowles, and Alex Gillies made the Vipers rue their mistakes. Jeff Kennedy had a chance to add a fourth goal when he was awarded a dubious penalty shot by referee Mike Boisvert, but Kennedy lost control of the puck as he approached Halcrow.

Kennedy atoned for that miscue by scoring the lone Salmon Arm goal of the third period. It was the only shot to beat Danny Todosychuk, who played well after replacing Kirby Halcrow at the start of the period.

Adam Tambellini had brought the score to 6-4 at 2:32 of the third, but it was the only time the Vipers were able to beat Kurt Williams on 14 third-period shots, despite several close calls around the Salmon Arm net.

Vernon opened the season with two wins against Salmon Arm, but the Silverbacks have now defeated the Vipers in three straight games, including two 3-2 overtime decisions on November 25 and 26.

The teams resume their rivalry Friday night in Vernon.