Vipers Steamroll Trail Again:

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Vipers steamroll Trail again

by Don Klepp | Added 2011-12-17

Mike Zalewski scored twice.

In a repeat of last Thursday’s 8-3 win at home against the Trail Smoke Eaters, the Vernon Vipers once again rolled over the Smokies, this time by a count of 10-1.

Mike Zalewski and Jedd Soleway led the Viper attack, each with two goals and an assist. Ben Gamache contributed a goal and three assists, all in a five-goal third period. John Knisley (1+2), Darren Nowick (1+1), Adam Tambellini (1+1), and Aaron Hadley (2 assists) also had multiple points for the Vipers, who won for the second time in three games.

Soleway, a 17-year-old rookie, credits veteran Ben Gamache for his scoring in recent games. “He holds on to the puck until a good play can be made and he has that knack of finding you in scoring areas. I love playing with the guy.”

Other Viper goals came from Brett Corkey and AP call-up Eric Chore. It was Corkey’s first of the season and Chore’s first BCHL goal in his first game with the Vipers. Earlier this season, Chore had played four games for the Prince George Spruce Kings, who added Chore’s twin brother Patrick to their roster this week.

All four Viper lines contributed to the scoring, as the Vipers dominated from start to finish. They led the shot totals, 43-21, the scoring chances, 23-4, and the hits, 43-37 in a hard hitting game that erupted into some third period fisticuffs.

Darren Nowick earned a decision over Tim Coish after Coish challenged the Viper sparkplug. “I was kind of surprised that he came at me,” said Nowick, “but I thought, what the heck, let’s go. It’s my first Gordie Howe hat trick in this league, so I can put that in the memory bank.”

A one-sided affair saw Brandon Egli jump Brett Corkey, who went down and protected his head. Egli earned 17 minutes for his efforts and the Vipers scored twice on the power play to finish the game, late in the third period.

“It was already 8-1,” said Coach Jason Williamson, “so I played the third and fourth lines as much as I could, but it was just one of those nights when the puck goes in for you.”

The game started differently, however, as goalie James D’Andrea was sensational in the first period. He gave up a power play goal at 2.20 of the first period when Jedd Soleway head faked and then wristed a puck between D’Andrea and the goalie’s right post. But then D’Andrea thwarted the Vipers time and time again.

After one flurry when D’Andrea stopped three Viper chances in quick succession, Trails’ Brandon Long emerged from a scrum with the puck. With a Viper D-man caught in the traffic, Long flew down the left wing with one defender back to cover two Smoke Eaters. Long’s perfect low shot found the corner to the left of goalie Danny Todosychuk.

The Vipers took a 5-1 lead in the second period, even though the Smoke Eaters battled from start to finish. D’Andrea got only a piece of John Knisley’s quick shot from the right wing at 6:51. At 11:36, Darren Nowick’s precise feed from behind the net found Mike Zalewski in front. Nowick himself scored at 14:34 when he stole the puck from a Trail defenceman, beat the other defenceman with a swooping move, and beat D’Andrea with the same move.

Corkey completed the second period onslaught with an overpowering wrist shot from the high slot after taking a nice feed from Zalewski.

Zalewski delighted the crowd with a swerving series of moves and a high shot that beat D’Andrea at 11:42 of the third period. Then the roof totally caved in. Soleway and Gamache scored 13 seconds apart and the two late power play markers finished a disheartening evening for Trail.