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 game between the Vernon Vipers & Penticton Vees as the Vees defeated the Vipers 4-3 in front of 2,263 fans at Kal Tire Place.
Starting Goaltenders:
Vernon Vipers: Colin Reay
Penticton Vees: Will Ingemann
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2nd Period: The Vipers looked very good to start the middle frame, were the better of the two teams at least in the first half. Vernon carried the edge in play, had more zone time, puck possession and were generating some offensive chances. The Vipers downfall was they couldn't get the next goal, to give them a two goal lead, instead the momentum turned towards the middle of the period, before the Vees slowly started to turn the tables and now Penticton took over the edge in play and started to press/come on strong to finish the period. The Vees looked very good and were the better team in the second half, had some good looks/opportunities. The Snakes who were playing so well to start the period, were now back on their heels, making mistakes, turning over pucks and looked disorganized at times. The Vees were unable to tie the game. It was 2-1 Vernon after 40 minutes of play. Shots were 13-8 for the Vipers.
3rd Period: The visiting Penticton Vees jumped on the Snakes early and often, scoring three goals in just over two minutes, taking a 4-2 lead four minutes into the final frame. The hometown Vipers would take a couple of undisciplined penalties, that took time off the clock. Koji Gibson was ejected from the game after taking a five minute major. The Vees moved the puck around but didn't really generate a ton of chances as Vernon killed off the major. The Vipers would get Colin Reay to the bench for the extra attacker with about 1:22 remaining. Shea Busch would get the Snakes to within a goal but the Vees would hang on for the win. The Vees carried most of the play, had a ton of puck possession and were by far the better team in the 3rd period. The Vees took the wind out of the sails of the Vipers with those three quick goals as Vernon didn't have that same jump/intensity, struggled offensively went almost the first ten minutes of the period without a shot on goal. The Snakes couldn't muster much offensively. Shots were 12-7 Penticton.
Vernon Vipers Top Performers:
The line of Charlie Kresl (2 assists), Koji Gibson (1 goal) and Shea Busch (1 goal) was the Snakes top unit. These three had lots of chemistry, played with a ton of jump/energy, looked very good vs a very good Penticton team
Keaton Dowhaniuk I thought looked good/played very well in the loss. Dowhaniuk made his Vipers debut Friday in Salmon Arm. A smooth skater, can move the puck well, makes that first good pass coming out of the zone
Game Thought's: Vernon Vipers
- Since the 2003-04 regular season, the Vipers have never started the season 0-6
- The Snakes next game is Friday at home vs the West Kelowna Warriors
- The Vipers & Blackfalds Bulldogs are the only two teams without a win this season
- A big crowd tonight, tonight's attendance was 2,263
- If the Vipers want to win and beat a team like Penticton, they are going to have to play with more consistency
- The Vipers took two undisciplined penalties in the 3rd that took a lot of the time off the clock
- The Vipers have lost nineteen of their last twenty regular season games vs Penticton
- Vernon went 1-1 with the power play
- I have seen a lot of good things in the Vipers last three games. They didn't win any of those three games, but I have seen improvement and much better play in the last three games then I had seen in any of the previous games
- Forward Will Schumacher either took a puck or stick to the face in the 1st period, was ok but played the remainder of the game with a full face shield
- Vernon plays six of their next seven games on the road
- I really liked the Snakes 1st period. Not only did the Vipers outshoot Penticton, they looked to generate more offensive chances and had the better of the opportunities. I thought they played with a lot of jump/energy and held their own vs a good Vees hockey club
- Tonight is the first of six regular season meetings vs the Vees
- I spotted a woman wearing a Salmon Arm Silverbacks jersey at tonight's game
- You could see the momentum and game change around the midway mark or just before the midway mark of the 2nd period. Vernon was all over the Vees early in the middle frame, couldn't get that third goal to take a two goal lead. Instead the Vipers allow the Vees back in the hockey game, give them life and momentum, which later resulted in three 3rd period goals
- The Vipers have lost twenty three of their last twenty seven regular season games vs the Vees
- The Snakes are 0-1-1-0 on home ice
- Vernon is the second lowest scoring team with eleven goals, with the Blackfalds Bulldogs as the lowest scoring team with nine goals
- The Vipers didn't get off to a great start to start the 3rd period. Vernon would give up three goals in just over two minutes, didn't look good or play good the entire 3rd period. The Vipers PK was good, killing off a five minute major but otherwise struggled offensively. The Vipers needed almost ten minutes to record their first shot of the period, had troubles gaining the offensive zone and generating any kind of offence
- The Vipers biggest problem is they can't score and don't have a proven goal scorer or someone that can put the puck in the net on a game to game basis. Another issue early into the season has been the teams consistency
- Give the Snakes credit, they held their own vs the Vees in the first half of tonight's game, until the game/momentum changed about midway through the 2nd period
- Vernon went 1-4-0-0 vs Penticton last season
- I thought Vernon should have called a timeout after the Vees second goal of the 3rd period
- Colin Reay had a tough night in goal, would like to have back the Vees fourth fourth goal
- Were six games into the 2024-25 regular season and the Vipers next game is vs the West Kelowna Warriors, a team we played twice last weekend and then in three weeks it's Salmon Arm & Penticton again? We couldn't have mixed up the schedule just a bit?
- With the loss, Vernon falls to 0-5-1-0 sits 10th in the Interior Conference
Penticton Vees Top Performers:
Eli McKamey a 15 year old forward playing for the Penticton Vees, didn't look out of place, looked very good and played very well in the win over the Snakes
Max Heise (1 goal) I thought was one of the better Vees forwards this evening. A big body that can skate, move the puck, was hard to defend, played very well
Michael Fisher Another kid with size, was physical, finished his checks, played very well at both ends of the rink and on the blueline
Carson Lesiuk Played very well, was skating, moving the puck, had some looks
Simon Meier (1 assist) I thought played very well, was always involved in the play, had a strong night for the Vees
Will Ingemann (31 saves) Played well in goal, was forced to make some big/key saves in the 1st and early in the 2nd period with the Vipers pressing. I thought a couple of his saves early in the middle frame was a difference as if Vernon scores, the Snakes take a 3-1 lead, instead it stays 2-1 and the Vees regroup, battle back and come away with the win
Game Thought's: Penticton Vees
- The Vees have played five of their first six games on the road
- The Vees and Vipers will meet again October 26th in Penticton
- A small number of Vees fans made the trip to Vernon, made a lot of noise through out the game
- Penticton went 1-3 with the man advantage
- The Vees next game is Friday at home vs the Salmon Arm Silverbacks
- The Vees jerseys look a lot like the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Forward Ryden Evers was an "AP" with the 2021-22 Vernon Vipers
- I liked Penticton's 1st period a period where both teams were fairly evenly matched other then maybe Vernon had the better of the opportunities. This was a very good/exciting opening frame
- Vees Head Coach/GM/President Fred Harbinson is in his 18th season with Penticton. Harbinson's regular season record with the Vees is 698-185-15-42-10
- Penticton is 4-1-0-0 on the road
- The Vees eliminated the Vipers in five games in last years 2nd round of the playoffs
- The Vees have a big team with lots of size
- Penticton is quick, has a good transition game, can move the puck in a hurry, doesn't make many mistakes
- Assistant Coach Jason McKee spent parts of five seasons as the Vipers Head Coach/GM from 2019-2024
- The Vees play five of their next six games on the road
- Forward Eli McKamey was granted exceptional status this season to play in the BC Hockey League as a 15 year old
- The Vees didn't get off to a good start in the 2nd period, were outplayed for most of the first half but held off the Snakes attack with some solid goaltending. Penticton seemed to turn the tables/momentum in the second half and take over the edge in play for the remainder of the hockey game
- Penticton was down 2-1 heading into the 3rd period, scored three goals in just over two minutes early in the 3rd period to take a 4-2 lead
- Both teams hit the post once each
- The Penticton Vees have had the Vipers number over the past several years
- With the win, Penticton improves to 5-1-0-0 sits 2nd in the Interior Conference
Scratches:
Vernon Vipers:
Vinny Ipri
Zhenya Miles
Lucas Brennan
Penticton Vees:
Matthew Biotti
Jackson Potulny
Caton Ryan
Sharky Nowek
Energy Player of the Game:
Here are some photo's I took before and during tonight's Vernon Vipers-Penticton Vees game.
Keaton Dowhaniuk
Three Star's:
1st Star: Ryden Evers (1 goal)
2nd Star: Shea Busch (1 goal)
3rd Star: Anselmo Rego (1 goal)
Boxscore-Game Summary,
Game Report,
Text Box Score,
Vernon Junior Hockey History website,
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