Penticton Vees rally past Vernon Vipers with four in third
Published: February 19, 2012
The Vernon Vipers came within 18 minutes of derailing the longest win streak in B.C. Hockey League history.
Instead, they surrendered four unanswered third-period goals in a 6-4 loss to the seemingly unstoppable Penticton Vees in front of 2,757 fans Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
“I thought we gave a pretty good hockey team all they could handle,” said Vipers’ head coach Jason Williamson to Black Press. “We were up 4-2, I thought we went punch for punch, blow for blow. We were good for 45 minutes and then it kind of got away from us. They got some opportunistic goals.”
Vernon, fifth in the Interior Conference at 26-23-1-2, went up by a pair 1:27 into the third period as rookie forward Adam Tambellini collected his 24th of the season on the powerplay, assisted by veterans Colton Cyr and Pat McGillis.
However, the 45-3-0-2 Vees, who extended their league-record win streak to 33 games, started a rally at the five-minute mark, with second star defenceman Zach Urbran netting his fourth goal, assisted by Bryce Gervais.
“We don’t clear the puck and Zach Urban gets a point shot that finds its way to the back of the net,” said Williamson. “We had the game in our grasp and that’s hockey sometimes. If we can get a stick or block, maybe it’s a different outcome.”
Just two minutes later, Urban returned the favour, setting up Gervais (37th goal) for the equalizer at 7:16.
Mike Reilly (33rd goal), unassisted, gave Penticton it’s first lead at 11:36, and with Kirby Halcrow (21 saves) pulled, Joey Benik (26th) supplied an empty-netter in the final minute.
While obviously disheartened by the result, Williamson couldn’t fault Vernon’s effort, and noted the Vipers are the last team to stop the high-flying Vees in regulation (7-1 win on Nov. 2).
“Probably the closest game they’ve had. Or the biggest scare they’ve had. We just have to bottle that effort up and push for these last eight games.”
Vernon third star Aaron Hadley (12th) opened the scoring on a first-period powerplay, assisted by Mike Zalewski and Darren Nowick. Jedd Soleway (12th), assisted by Brendan Persley and Cyr, and John Knisley (9th), unassisted, scored for the Snakes in the second frame.
Captain Logan Johnston (10th) and first star Wade Murphy (33rd), both on the man advantage, connected for Penticton in the second.
The Vipers were a point back of the Chilliwack Chiefs (26-20-1-3) heading into their Saturday tilt with the Westside Warriors at Wesbild Centre. The Chiefs had two games in hand.
Vernon is on the coast next weekend to face the Cowichan Valley Capitals Friday night at the Interior Savings Centre, followed by a Saturday date with Kent Lewis’s Powell River Kings at Hap Parker Arena.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs fell 4-3 in overtime to the host Prince George Spruce Kings (28-17-2-4) Friday night at the Coliseum. They visited the resurgent Merritt Centennials (28-17-2-5) Saturday.
In BCHL action Thursday night, Hadley recorded his 10th and 11th goals of the season as Vernon grounded the Nanaimo Clippers 5-1 at Wesbild.
Zalewski and Tambellini each supplied 1+2, while Soleway, on an easy tap in after Tambellini hit the post, with 22 seconds remaining, rounded out the Viper offence in front of 1,485 fans.
Hadley fought off a check and beat goalie Billy Faust at 5:26 of the opening period. Tambellini took a cross-ice feed from Zalewski and wired a wrister from the right side, making it 2-0 four minutes later on a powerplay.
Hadley made it 3-0 just 26 seconds into the second period from in front of Faust, on a powerplay. Zalewski and Nowick drew the helpers.
Luke Gordon, who had three cups of mocha with the WHL Calgary Hitmen, replied for the Clippers a minute later with captain and former Viper Trevor Fitzgerald earning the secondary assist.
“We just didn’t play a full 60, didn’t play our game,” said Fitzgerald, on pace for 20 goals and 100 penalty minutes. “We didn’t have the intensity we wanted as a full lineup. Some guys were on different pages, and other guys just didn’t play a team game.”
Cyr, a longtime Clipper traded to Vernon at the Jan. 10 deadline, moved in with Zalewski on a shorthanded break, taking a low shot at Faust from the right side. Zalewski banged in the rebound for his team-high 32nd goal of the year. That goal came with 30 seconds left in d-man Marc Hetnik’s minor penalty for knocking Clayton Chessa out of Viper goalie Halcrow’s crease.
The Vipers outshot the Clippers 43-33.
Nanaimo, who started a three-game swing by losing 6-3 Wednesday night to the Coquitlam Express, are fifth in the Coastal Conference, 13 points back of the Express. The Clippers, who had almost identical goals for and against and points records as Vernon, dropped to 22-20-0-9.
It was also a homecoming for Clipper rookie d-man Colton Dahlen (a Vernon minor hockey product) and Nanaimo head coach Mike Vandekamp, a former Viper bench boss.
“We didn’t compete enough in our zone and we could have buried some more chances,” said Dahlen, 18.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder, who played Junior B in Revelstoke last season, has 1-6-7 and is enjoying the freshman ride.
“It’s all about work ethic, just doing the little things right and constantly bringing a good attitude and stuff like that. Playing away from home has been good for me.”
Hadley and Nanaimo d-man Josh Phillips wrestled to the ice deep in the Nanaimo zone in the second period, in the game’s only scrap.
Fitzgerald, who felt numb when the Vipers traded him to Prince George in the offseason, is also loving life on the Island despite the Clippers’ inconsistency.
“It’s good. Vandy’s a great guy. We get along really well. We talk lots and have good communication, and he’s my style of coach and I’m his style of player so it’s going awesome.
“I knew pretty much right away after I got traded that Vandy was trying to get me in Nanaimo so I was hoping for that. Guys there are awesome, people there are awesome, it’s a great hockey city.”
Fitzgerald, 19, is stoked about Nanaimo hosting the Western Canadian championships next year, his final season in the BCHL.
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