I was born and raised in Vernon, BC and been watching/following Junior hockey in Vernon my whole life. My family watched Senior men's hockey in Vernon in the 1950's and has been watching Junior hockey in Vernon since it started in 1961. I have two family members that played Junior hockey in Vernon. I have had season tickets since 1990 missing only 40 home games. Since 2001 I have missed 10 home games. I started and created this blog in November 2008 and have over 3 million viewers. For anyone who couldn't watch or attend tonight's Vipers game, here are my thoughts and views from tonight's hockey game. You may agree or disagree, but we all have our own opinion on the hockey game and see things differently. I try to be professional and give a fare game recap from both sides. Thank you for visiting my blog.
I was at tonight's exhibition game between the Vernon Vipers & Penticton Vees as the Vees defeated the Vipers 2-1 in front of 1,843 fans at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Starting Goaltenders:
Vernon Vipers: Marko Bilic
Penticton Vees: Sharky Nowek
To continue reading, please click the "read more" button below,
1st Period: The hometown Vees were by far the better team and outplayed the visiting Vipers for most of the opening frame. Penticton was all over the Snakes from the drop of the opening faceoff as the Vees looked very strong. The Vees had a ton of puck possession, zone time and were getting pucks to the net. The Vees have lots of speed/quickness and gave Vernon's defenders all kinds of trouble. It was like the Vees had the puck on a string. The Vees were ahead in shots 12-0 at one point as the Snakes needed nine and a half minutes to record their first shot on goal. Penticton had several good looks/some good chances as Vipers starting goaltender Marko Bilic was solid in goal. The Vipers penalty kill was very good, killing off all three minors. The Vipers did manage to finally get going late and played well in the final four or five minutes. The Vipers had a couple of looks/chances before Shea Busch opened the scoring at 15:47 The Snakes did lay the body a little and didn't back down. It was 1-0 Vernon after 20 minutes of play. Shots were 17-5 Vees.
2nd Period: The Vees continued the following period, where they left off the 1st period as Penticton was once again the better team and outplayed the Vernon Vipers for most of the 2nd period. Landon Wright tied the game early into the period as the Vees carried the play, had a ton of zone time, had a ton of puck possession and simply out skated and out skilled the Vipers. Simon Meier looked to beat Vipers starting goaltender Marko Bilic but rang a shot off the post. For a second straight period, Bilic was the difference, keeping the Snakes in the contest. Vernon with another good PK, killed off two minors. Vernon struggled to clear the zone and it cost them on the game tying goal. The Vipers didn't seem to have an answer for the Vees skilled offence. The Vipers had a couple of good shifts but were outplayed in back to back periods. It was 1-1 after 40 minutes of play. Shots were 11-5 Penticton.
3rd Period: The Penticton Vees were the better team once again. I didn't think Penticton dominated the play as much as they did in the first two periods but the Vees did have the edge in play, had more puck possession, zone time and were just overall better. The Vees had some good looks and a couple of real good quality opportunities but couldn't solve Marko Bilic. Vernon did have some good shifts at different times in the period, finally managed to generate a little offence. I noticed both teams were getting a little chippy now and again with some chirping between the players on the ice. Inside the final minute, a Vees pass went off a Vipers defenceman at the side of the net, went across the crease, bouncing in and off Marko Bilic and into the back of the net, giving the Vees a 2-1 lead at 19:11 Max Heise was credited with the goal. A tough goal to give up late in the game and for a goaltender who played so well tonight. The Vipers bench looked devistated. The Snakes would try and get Marko Bilic to the bench for the extra attacker with seventeen seconds remaining but Penticton would hold on for the 2-1 victory. Shots were 14-5 Vees.
Vernon Vipers Top Performers:
Marko Bilic (40 saves) Played one heck of a hockey game, was by far the Snakes best player this evening. Bilic kept his team in the contest and gave his team an opportunity to pull off a win. Bilic committed to the Vipers for the 2024-25 season made his Vipers preseason debut halfway through Friday's loss to West Kelowna. This kid is positionally sound, covers a lot of net, is quick and doesn't give up any second or third opportunities. You have to feel sorry for the kid on the game winning goal.
Georgios Stavrianeas I thought was Vernon's best forward in the loss. Returning for a second season, played hard, competed, played with a ton of jump/energy, was all over the rink. I really liked his work ethic and game.
Game Thought's: Vernon Vipers
- Tonight was the Vipers second of four preseason games
- Vernon's penalty kill was very very good. The Vees did get several quality chances on the games first PP but after that the Viper PK settled down and would kill off all six minors. The Vipers kept the Vees PP unit to the outside, limited time and space and didn't allow Penticton to get a ton of chances
- The Vipers went 0-3 in Penticton during last season's regular season
- The Snakes were outplayed for most of tonight's hockey game
- Vernon needed nine and a half minutes to record their first shot of the game
- The Vipers next exhibition game is Tuesday in Salmon Arm
- The Vipers went 0-2 with the man advantage
- Goaltender Marko Bilic was wearing his new equipment decked out in Viper colors
- The Vipers had all kinds of problems clearing the zone. Vernon had several opportunities to get the puck out but couldn't and the play continued with the Snakes hemmed in their own end. On the Vees game tying goal, Vernon had the puck on their stick three times, couldn't clear the zone, which resulted in the goal
- The Snakes power play struggled, didn't look very good
- The Vipers went 1-4-0-0 vs the Vees during the 2023-24 regular season
- Vernon dressed ten players returning from last season
- The Vipers offence really struggled as the Snakes didn't get more then five shots in a period. The Vipers had trouble generating/creating opportunities, didn't see a whole lot of time with the puck or in the offensive zone
- The Vipers last preseason win in Penticton was a 2-1 shootout victory on September 9th 2022
- The Snakes are 1-8-1-0 in their last ten preseason games in Penticton
- Don't let the scoreboard fool you, this game wasn't even nearly close
- I thought Vernon played with some physicality tonight and was in the face of the Vees at times. The Vipers didn't back down and weren't afraid to get involved in the after the whistle pushing and shoving
- The Vipers were very disciplined in Friday's loss to West Kelowna, only took one penalty, tonight the Snakes had six minors
- I saw maybe six or seven Viper fans in attendance, as well as owner Tom Glen
- The Vipers heavily relied on starting goaltender Marko Bilic who was the difference and kept his team in tonight's hockey game. I think Bilic will challenge Colin Reay for the starting job
- With the loss, Vernon falls to 0-2-0-0 in the preseason
Penticton Vees Top Performers:
Brock Reinhart I thought impressed me on the Vees backend
Matthew Biotti (1 assist) I thought saw a lot of ice time tonight, was very steady through out the game. I remember this kid from last season and thought he always played well vs the Vipers
Max Heise (1 goal) I thought played well/looked strong and not just because he scored the game winner but because I thought he stood out and impressed me
Simon Meier Was one of if not the Vees best forward. Meier rang a shot off the post in the 2nd period, had a strong night, was hard to contain, hard to defend and gave the Snakes defenders trouble through out the exhibition game
Game Thought's: Penticton Vees
- The Vees looked like a well oiled machine, I mean tape to tape passing, players in position, structure, making plays, made very to little mistakes, are quick, hard to defend, hard to contain, have a ton of speed and had lots of quality chances
- Tonight was the Vees second preseason game after a 7-3 loss Friday in Trail
- A big crowd on hand tonight. Tonight's attendance was announced at 1,843
- Forward Ryden Evers was an "AP" with the 2021-22 Vernon Vipers
- The Vees eliminated the Vipers in five games in last season's second round playoffs
- Penticton went 0-6 with the power play
- I don't know how they do it but it seems like year after year no matter the situation, the Vees seem to put together a strong/contending team and tonight's team I saw play tonight looks good
- The Vees were by far the better team and outplayed Vernon for most of the game
- Penticton's defence shutdown the Vipers offence, limiting time and space, only giving up five shots a period and very to little opportunities
- The Vees PK was good, killing off both of Vernon's penalties
- The Vees get a lucky break/bounce on the game winning goal. Inside the final minute of play, Max Heise's shot hits a Vernon defenceman, then goes in and off Vipers goaltender Marko Bilic and into the back of the net
- The Vees next preseason game is Friday in West Kelowna
- This may be the start of a new hockey season but once again the Vees looked very very good this evening and look like they will have another competitive/strong team
- For tonight being just the teams second exhibition game, I was very impressed with the teams passing. It seemed like tape to tape passes almost every pass
- Assistant Coach Jason McKee was with the Vipers from 2019-2024 as the Vipers Head Coach/GM
- Penticton is once again very quick, can move the puck in a hurry and has some skilled forwards
- The Vees were ahead in shots 12-0 at one point in the 1st period
- I thought Penticton played very well at both ends of the ice, are very well structured and look in mid season form
- It looks like the Vees have their 2024-25 roster set as all players had name bars on the back of their jerseys
- Sharky Nowek got the start in goal, wasn't tested often, only faced fifteen Vernon shots
- With the win, Penticton improves to 1-1 in the preseason
Vernon Vipers Lineup/Roster
Forwards:
Georgios Stavrianeas 05
Jakub Galnor 06
Carter Streek 04
Weston Field 06
Simon Binkley 06
Keeghan Dunn 07
Shea Busch 07
Bronson Ross 06
Erik Pastro 05
Carson McGinley 06
Lucas Brennan 04
Luke Bibby 04
Defencemen:
Max Kelly 07
Zhenya Miles 06
Isaac Holt 05
Cooper Cleaves 06
Carson Lloyd 05
Lukas McCloskey 05
Goaltenders:
Marko Bilic 06
Colin Reay 05
Penticton Vees Lineup/Roster:
Forwards:
Luke Posthumus 05
Eli McKamey 09
Caton Ryan 06
Max Heise 06
Matthew Cataldo 05
Ryden Evers 05
Conyr Hellyer 04
Carson Lesiuk 05
Landon Wright 06
Simon Meier 05
Anselmo Rego 05
Casey Brown 06
Defencemen:
Brock Reinhart 04
Matthew Biotti 04
Zach Nyman 08
Nolan Stevenson 05
Callum Stone 07
Julien Wasmer 05
Michael Fisher 04
Goaltenders:
Sharky Nowek 06
Will Ingemann 05
Scratches:
Vernon Vipers:
No scratches announced
Penticton Vees:
Logan Bates 06
Jackson Potulny 05
Ben Merrill 05
Andrew Ness 04
Energy Player of the Game:
Matthew Cataldo
Three Star's:
1st Star: Sharky Nowek (14 saves)
2nd Star: Marko Bilic (40 saves)
3rd Star: Landon Wright (1 goal)
Boxscore-Game Summary,
Game Report,
Text Box Score,
Vernon Junior Hockey History website,
Please feel free to leave comments or suggestions in the comment box below. Please be respectful when leaving comments.
4 comments:
I donated alot of my Laker/Viper memorabilia to the BC Hockey Hall of Fame. So, thanks for posting those images of the display cases, I have not visited there since my donation!
I don't know how they do it the vees year after year??? Perhaps the coaching staff needs to go down to penticton and watch the vees during there practices as to Why?? the vees are so good year after year in every asset of the game. They could perhaps learn something.
Comment was edited by Vipersdiehardfan
Bingo, its just exhibition, and your already complaining
No problem Paul. Your Lakers/Vipers memorabilia looks great in the display cases. They have added on to the BC Hockey Hall of Fame a couple of years ago as it is much larger then it was. Before every Vipers game, I make sure to take a walk through the BC Hockey Hall of Fame and check out all the display cases. So much rich and great hockey history to see and read from over the years.
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