Vipers Fight Hard But Lose In Westside:

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Vipers Fight Hard But Lose In Westside

Saturday, January 21, 2012 - Submitted by Don Klepp

Despite a furious third period onslaught that saw the Vipers outshoot Westside 24-8, a pair of Reid Simmonds goals gave the Warriors a 3-1 win.

Goalie Dwayne Rodrigue had much to do with that result as he stopped everything in the final period and 41 of 42 overall. He had help from his defenders and forwards who fell back to pack the crease when the Vipers stormed the Westside net.

Time after time the Vipers poured into the Westside zone with numbers. Not surprisingly, the Vipers earned a pair of penalties in the final 20 minutes and they very nearly capitalized. One of their best chances fell to Aaron Hadley who was about to swat in a loose puck when a desperate Warrior stick knocked Hadley’s stick aside.

The onslaught continued as the Vipers were determined to unlock a 1-1 third period tie. Shots whistled by Rodrigue’s posts and one of them, a howitzer by Colton Cyr, skimmed off the crossbar.

The first period was perhaps a harbinger of things to come because although the Vipers had the bulk of the scoring chances and went ahead on Marc Hetnik’s point shot, they were able to solve Rodrigue just once.

The Viper charge in the first 20 minutes was abetted to some extent by having four power plays compared to just one by the Warriors.

That pattern was reversed in the second period as the Warriors came out with more jump and were the beneficiaries of four power plays of their own. They used one of them to tie the game when David Pope eased in a rebound of Connor Dempsey’s backhand.

Referee Ron Dietterle may have intruded too much into this game as he did in Vernon the previous evening, but the Vipers failed to convert one of their seven power plays. Westside managed one in five tries, a big factor in the contest.

The first two periods had a playoff feel, but the final frame saw wide open hockey with the Vipers dominating. Still, the Warriors made the Vipers rue their missed chances when Reid Simmonds swept in a Max French rebound at 16:35. Simmonds added an empty netter at 19:30.

Turner Lawson became the latest Viper to join the walking wounded when he was rocked in the first period. He did not return, which led to frequent Viper line juggling. He joins four other Vipers in the sick bay.

For the second straight night, 1995-born affiliate players Mike Roberts and Cole Sanford played well for Vernon.