Vipers Take Series Lead:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Vipers take series lead

By Kevin Mitchell
Sports Editor

If he can't see a shot, his teammates are there for a clutch block. He's making himself look big, rarely giving up a rebound, and his goals against average is an all-planet 1.70.
Andrew Hammond – the Interior Conference's Top Goalie award winner – has somehow cranked up his play another decibel. He pitched a superb 29-save shutout Tuesday night in Salmon Arm as the Vernon Vipers won 3-0, grabbing a 2-1 lead in the B.C. Hockey League best-of-seven semifinal series.
"I felt real good tonight. I didn't feel too good in Game 2 when I didn't get too many shots, but tonight I felt everytime I made a mistake, my d-men were there to clear the puck," said Hammond, a 21-year-old White Rock product. "That's always nice when you have that confidence in them. We played really well tonight as a team."
Hammond and the Vipers' penalty killing units tortured the SilverBacks' powerplay eight times in front of 1,746 fans at the Sunwave Centre. Hammond's only error came late in the game when he flicked a puck over the side glass, earning a delay-of-game penalty.
The SilverBacks pulled goalie Bryan Gillis for a sixth attacker, and even enjoyed a 6-on-3 advantage for about 20 seconds when defenceman Cam Brodie lost his stick. Hammond made a few solid stops as the Gorillas stormed the net. The Vipers have now killed all but one of 26 playoff powerplay chances. Hammond's save percentage is an extraordinary 93.9 per cent.
"He was great," said Vernon head coach Mark Ferner. "He's playing with lots of confidence. He's positionally sound and he makes it look easy out there. Lots of pucks are hitting him, but he was in the right place and he deserved to be first star tonight."
Centre Cory Kane, who Ferner felt played his finest game of the season, scored the winner at 4:25 of the second period when he bascially overpowered Gillis with a wrap-a-round after some grunt work behind the net by Bryce Kakoske and James Kerr.
Winger Cole Ikkala surprised Gillis with a high shot from the right side to make it 2-0 midway through the second period.
"You get pucks to the net and you never know," said Ferner. "He was walking up the wall and looking for someone down the slot. We talk about not turning pucks over there. If it's not on net, it's got to be behind the goal-line. But Cole's got a great shot and he just turned and fired it and it probably caught him a little by surprise."
Hammond, a charter member of the all-star goaltending fraternity, felt somewhat sorry for Gillis, who finished with 26 saves, his best a right-leg stop off centre Connor Jones from 'gimme range.'
"I don't think he saw it," said Hammond. "It's one of those things when you shoot from anywhere, eventually they're going go go in. I mean, off the crossbar, it's a bit lucky but we'll take it."
Jones, who survived a monster mugging by big Matt Wray, connected on a 100-foot empty-netter to complete the offence with 35 seconds remaining.
Due to injuries to forward Ryan Santana and blueliner Kevin Kraus, the Vipers moved Kory Roy and Stevie Weinstein into the lineup. Roy took a regular shift, while Weinstein manned the point on all three Vernon powerplays.
Ferner wasn't about to book hotel rooms in Powell River or Victoria after the Snakes' impressive performance.
"Certainly we were lucky in some situations. Our guys played hard again tonight and all we've done now is re-gain home advantage."
Game 4 goes tonight at 7:30 in Salmon Arm. The fifth game is Friday night (7:00) at the Wesbild Centre.