Vipers get payback on Warriors
By Graeme Corbett - Vernon Morning Star
Published: January 29, 2012
With two points and a solid effort to start a three-game weekend, the midnight express to Prince George probably felt almost bearable for the Vernon Vipers Friday night.
The Snakes hopped right on the bus after they parlayed two-goal performances from Colton Cyr and Mike Zalewski into an entertaining 4-1 B.C. Hockey League win over the visiting Westside Warriors at Wesbild Centre.
The Vipers, fifth in the Interior Conference at 20-19-1-2, faced the fourth-place Spruce Kings (21-17-2-3) Saturday night at the Coliseum. The two teams tangle again today in a 3 p.m. matinee.
“It’s huge. It’s a big weekend for us and if we win a couple games up there we’re right back in it,” said Vipers’ head coach Jason Williamson, who, despite some inconsistent results, likes the way the team is playing.
“It’s coming. We’re getting into stages of playing the right way.”
Even with a couple powerplays to work with, Westside, who grounded Vernon 3-1 in their last encounter a week earlier, didn’t generate much in the first period, mustering just two shots on Kirby Halcrow (20 saves).
Said Westside coach Rylan Ferster: “They came out pretty desperate in the first period and that’s pretty indicative of the game – they played with more desperation than us.
“We had some really good chances in the second period to not only tie it up, but to maybe go ahead.”
At the other end, Vernon looked snake-bitten in the first frame as Colton Sparrow and Cyr both missed open-net one-timers minutes apart.
“Unfortunate not to be up by a couple after the first, but our guys stuck to it and were rewarded later,” said Williamson.
The Warriors pushed back early in the second frame, sparked by some solid offensive pressure from former Viper Marcus Basara, Connor Dempsey and David Pope, who caused havoc in Vernon’s zone.
Basara, returning to Vernon for the first time since being traded in late November, said it was surreal walking into Wesbild.
“I’ve never experienced it until today, but coming back to a place where you’ve played a lot of games, it’s a little different, but you just try to go out there and focus and play your game,” said the Coquitlam product.
“The Vipers are always a hard-working team and I think we are too. It was a pretty hard-fought game but the bounces went their way tonight.”
Zalewski (23rd goal, third star) ignited the nearly 2,000 fans in the second period as he circled from behind the net, then turned and fired a gorgeous top-shelf snipe.
The Vipers took complete control on a pair of early goals in the third period by second star Cyr (11th and 12th), the first coming after he knocked down a point shot by third star d-man Ryan Renz and tucked it behind Dwayne Rodrigue (28 saves).
Cyr's second tally came on the powerplay with the Warriors' Brett McKinnon sitting for a knee-on-knee hit to Brendan Persley. Cyr, brought in from Nanaimo at the trade deadline, deftly deflected an absolute rocket point shot by captain Patrick McGillis.
“It was hard,” smiled Cyr. “I thought it broke my stick to be completely honest. I heard something crack, but we’ll see (Saturday). Hopefully it doesn’t break in warmup.”
Cyr, who hammered the Warriors’ Pete MacIntosh in front of the penalty box on the game’s first shift, says a few wins would do wonders for the Vipers’ confidence.
“Winning is huge for the morale to continue on. We’ll just get our rest and get back at it. We’re playing another team that we’ve got to get back at that beat us last time, and a team we’re trying to catch.”
Zalewski (24th) completed the Vernon attack after he stripped Westside d-man Ben Betker and waltzed in alone to rip a shot past Rodrigue with 27 seconds to play.
The Warriors' lone goal came on a 5-on-3 in the third period, with Seb Lloyd (3rd) beating Halcrow after the Vernon tender made two quick saves in close.
SNAKE BITES: There was a huge ovation for former Viper Aaron Volpatti, now with the Vancouver Canucks, who attended the game to help Vernon promote its 2014 RBC Cup bid...Forward Ben Gamache returned to action for the first time since taking a knee-on-knee hit in a Dec. 30 game against the Salmon Arm SilverBacks.
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