Viper Grinders Lead the Way:

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Viper Grinders Lead the Way

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 - Submitted by Don Klepp

Jason Williamson didn’t award style points for his team’s 3-1 win over Trail on Tuesday, but he was more than satisfied with the two points.

“The name of the game is winning when you’re in a playoff race,” said the Viper Head Coach. “The main thing is that we’re now tied with Chilliwack for that last playoff spot and just three points back of Prince George. We have big games on the horizon with both those teams, so it’s going to be interesting.”

Meanwhile, Bill Birks had to be pleased with his team’s effort as his squad kept pace with the Vipers for much of the game. Final shots (34-25) and scoring chances (17-14) favoured the Vipers, but the Smoke Eaters battled right to the end.

Turner Lawson, Aaron Hadley, and Brendan Persley, who are noted for their energy but not their scoring, notched the Viper goals.

Turner Lawson’s first BCHL goal got the ball rolling at 5:49 of the first period. He fought through a check to get to the net and fire in a rebound of a Geoff Crisfield shot. The Vipers then went up by two goals when Aaron Hadley, who was camped to the right of Lyndon Stanwood’s crease, cashed in a laser pass delivered by Adam Tambellini from the far corner at 13:28.

Trail rebounded in the second period, skating hard and creating chances right from the re-start. The Smoke Eaters capitalized during a two-man advantage when Clayton McEwan’s shot went through Ryan Renz’s legs and then through Kirby Halcrow’s pads.

There were 13 scoring chances in the period, 7 by the Vipers, but both goalies played very well and each team had a shot skim off the cross bar. The biggest save of the period saw Halcrow get his blocker on Brent Baltus’s high shot when Baltus was left alone in the slot.

Halcrow displayed his top form again in the third period when he stopped prolific 16-year-old Craig Martin during a Trail power play. By that point, however, the Vipers were in control because Brendan Persley had given the Vipers an insurance goal at 5:12 when he shovelled the puck (and the goaltender) into the net.

The win pushes the Viper record to 24-20-1-2, exactly the same as Chilliwack, who will host Vernon on Saturday night. In the meantime, Vernon will be at home to Merritt on Friday and Chilliwack will welcome Westside to Prospera Centre.