Vernon (0-0-0) @ Salmon Arm (0-0-0)The exibition season got underway last night with six games on tap around the league. Tonight will be the first for both the Vernon Vipers & Salmon Arm Silverbacks. The last meeting between these two teams was in last year's BCHL's Interior Conference Final's where the Vipers held off the Silverbacks in 6 games to win the 2009 Interior Conference Championship. Vernon is heading into a new season as the defending Royal Bank Cup Champions, the Vipers have 13 returning players from last year's Championship team. Salmon Arm is coming into this season with 10 returning players from last year's team. The Vipers have made two big trades over the off season, adding some scoring upfront, aquiring veteran 20 yr old forward, Jonathan Milhouse from the Victoria Grizzlies. Vernon then added some strength and size to their blueline, picking up veteran 20 yr old defenceman, Dan Nycholat from the AJHL's Canmore Eagles. Nycholat has been playing the past two seasons with Northeastern University. The Silverbacks also made two trades over the summer, landing 20 yr old forward, Tyler Gubb from the Victoria Grizzlies and Lumby, BC Product Jayson Reardon a 19 yr old steady d-man who played last year with the Trail Smoke Eaters. The biggest news in Backs land came over the summer when the hockey club announced Matt Hughes will become the new Head Coach while Rylan Ferster will be the General Manager. Previously, Ferster held both titles while Hughes was the Associate Coach/Assistant GM. Randy Quakenbush will return as the teams Assistant Coach. Im sure both teams will have a few veterans playing in tonights game but will mostly be looking at some of their younger kids fighting for a spot on the team. It's really hard to say what kind of a game fans at the Sunwave Centre are going to see.
Heres a look at last year's season series:
September 5th @ Vernon: Vernon wins 4-1
The Vipers & Silverbacks clashed in the Vipers home opener. The Vipers were carried out onto the ice in the teams opening ceremonies in the back of the Vernon RCMP pickup trucks with the lights flashing as they introduced each player. Then a swat team member come shooting down a rope from the rafters, the officer then ran to a RCMP van on the ice and opened the back doors as the Vipers Captain & Assistant Captains jumped out from the back of the van. Salmon Arm opened the scoring just eleven seconds into the period, with a goal from Conor Morrison. This was the one and only goal the Backs would score as Vernon would beat Bryan Gillis four times going on to the 4-1 victory. Steve Tresierra, Cory Kane, Kellen Jones & Adam Thompson led the attack for Vernon. Andrew Hammond picked up his first win of the season making 27 saves.
September 6th @ Salmon Arm: Salmon Arm wins 5-4 (Overtime)
This was the back of a home and home series between these two Okanagan rivals. Tonight was Salmon Arms home opener and they didn’t let the home town crowd down. Just 1:41 into Overtime, Zac Rasmussen scored the game winner as the Silverbacks record the 5-4 OT win. Mark Zengerle & Conor Morrison collect three points each. Bryan Gillis picks up his first win of the season making 23 saves. John Digness picks up two points in the loss for Vernon.
September 20th @ Salmon Arm: Salmon Arm wins 7-2
This was an ugly game if you’re a Vernon fan. Salmon Arm destroys Vernon in a big 7-2 victory. The Silverbacks outplayed the Vipers as 1st star, Mark Zengerle collects four points. 2nd star, Keenan Desmet scores two goals and picks up two assists. 3rd star, Conor Morrison picks up (1 & 3). Andrew Hammond was given the hook after giving up four goals on just 17 shots. Backup Mark Segal didn’t do much better, allowing three goals
November 7th @ Vernon: Salmon Arm wins 4-3
The Backs win there third straight against Vernon, in a 4-3 win. David Killip & Colin Lidster each pick up two points in the win. Bryan Gillis makes 31 saves between the pipes collecting the victory. Kellen Jones leads the way for the Vipers with one goal and one assist. The Silverbacks lead the season series 3-1.
December 19th @ Vernon: Salmon Arm wins 4-3
Salmon Arm wins there fourth straight against Vernon with a 4-3 victory, there 11th win in a row. Mark Zengerle led the way with a goal and 2 assists. Zengerle was all over the ice. D-man, Ashford McMaster picked up 2 assists in the win, looking very solid. Bryan Gillis was steady, having to make his best saves for last, in the 3rd period, facing 15 Vernon shots. Matt Walters & Zac Rasmussen played a feisty role, getting under the skin of some Vipers. Walters & Rasmussen both played with that in your face style of hockey. The Vipers played about 7-8 minutes of the game, inwich they made a late rally, but it wasn’t enough as they fell to the Silverbacks on the scoreboard and in the standings. Salmon Arm with the win, moves 5 pts up on Vernon for first in the Interior.
December 20th @ Salmon Arm: Vernon wins 6-4
The Backs jumped out to a early 2-0 lead with goals from, Mark Zengerle and Keenan Desmet before the Vipers scored three straight goals in the 2nd period and went on to the 6-4 victory. Brothers Connor & Kellen Jones lead the way for Vernon with 3 pts each along with Vernon product Bryce Kakoske also putting up 3 pts in the win. Former Silverbacks goaltender, Graeme Gordon makes 21 saves beating his former club, improving his record to 9-0 as a Viper.
December 29th @ Salmon Arm: Salmon Arm wins 7-3
Vernon got off to a good start, scoring first with a goal by Mike Collins, but on the next rush the Silverbacks would score four quick goals just over the next three minutes jumping ahead 4-1 and in full control. Anytime the Vipers would score to climb back to within two goals, Salmon Arm answered right back within minutes after the Vernon goal, re-taking the three goal lead once again. Former Silverback goaltender Graeme Gordon allowed all seven goals, suffering his first loss as a Viper. Viper killer Mark Zengerle lead the way with a goal & a assist. Jason Beatie added two assists, and Captain Matt Walters pitched in with a goal and some physical play. Vernon played most of the 3rd period shorthanded as tempers flared in the final period. Salmon Arm was the far better team, looking very strong on home ice. Should be a war tonight.
December 30th @ Vernon: Vernon wins 2-1 (Overtime)
Tonight was the fourth straight meeting between these two hockey teams during the holiday break. Travis Statchuk opened the scoring putting Salmon Arm up 1-0 in the 1st period. Backs goaltender Bryan Gillis stood on his head all night, making some big saves, but couldn’t stop Cory Kane with two minutes remaining as the Vipers tied the game after firing 38 shots on Gillis after three periods of play. The game would head to overtime before Mike Collins beat Gillis 44 seconds into the extra frame giving Vernon the 2-1 OT victory. Gillis would make 39 saves in the loss. Andrew Hammond made 26 saves getting the win before 2,994 fans at the Wesbild Centre.
January 23rd @ Salmon Arm: Vernon wins 4-2
A big crowd of 1,782 packed the Sunwave Centre to catch the final home meeting between these two clubs. Salmon Arm jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead early in the 1st period with goals from, Justin Cseter & Mark Zengerle but Vernon battled back, scoring four unanswered goals to defeat the Silverbacks 4-2. Cameron Brodie scored his 1st goal as a Viper on a funny bounce inbehind the Backs net. Other Vernon goals come from, Mike Collins (2) & Connor Jones. Andrew Hammond made 22 saves between the pipes for the victory, while Bryan Gillis made 25 saves taking the loss.
January 31st @ Vernon: Vernon wins 2-0
The biggest corwd of the season packed the Wesbild Centre to watch the Vernon Vipers defeat the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 2-0 in the final meeting of the year. Braden Pimm in the 2nd and Kory Roy in the 3rd lead the scoring attack for the Vipers. Bryan Gillis makes 33 saves in the loss, Andrew Hammond made 37 saves in the win. Vernon goes 0-5 for on the powerplay while Salmon Arm goes 0-5. The Silverbacks outshoot the Vipers 37-35.
Here's a look at both team's rosters:
Vernon:
Nick Amies (Returning From Last Year)
Mike Collins (Returning From Last Year)
Cole Ikkala (Returning From Last Year)
Connor Jones (Returning From Last Year)
Kellen Jones (Returning From Last Year)
Bryce Kakoske (Returning From Last Year)
Cory Kane (Returning From Last Year)
Kevin Kraus (Returning From Last Year)
Jonathan Milhouse (Picked Up In Trade)
Braden Pimm (Returning From Last Year)
Rob Short (Returning From Last Year)
Dan Nycholat (Picked Up In Trade)
Adam Thompson (Returning From Last Year)
Steve Weinstein (Returning From Last Year)
Graeme Gordon (Returning From Last Year)
Dylan Walchuk (Recruited-Committed)
Drew George (Recruited-Committed)
Blake Voth (Recruited-Committed)
Brian Noonan (Recruited-Committed)
Salmon Arm:
Tyler Gubb (Picked Up In Trade)
Levi Hantula (Returning From Last Year)
Christopher Hoe (Returning From Last Year)
David Killip (Returning From Last Year)
Bobby Lipsett (Returning From Last Year)
Greg Noyes (Returning From Last Year)
Mike Puddifant (Returning From Last Year)
Zac Rasmussen (Returning From Last Year)
Jayson Reardon (Picked Up In Trade)
Travis Statchuk (Returning From Last Year)
Mark Zengerle (Returning From Last Year)
Tony Ierfino (Returning From Last Year)
Jagger Dirk (Recruited-Committed)
Josh Monk (Recruited-Committed)
Josh Manson (Recruited-Committed)
Devin Gannon (Recruited-Committed)
Brett Knowles (Recruited-Committed)
Justin Krabben (Recruited-Committed)
Charles Vasaturo (Recruited-Committed)
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