Snakes Strive For RBC Record Book:

This is in the Morning Star Newspaper:

Snakes strive for RBC record book

By Graeme Corbett - Vernon Morning Star

Published: April 29, 2011

They have already played more than a full NHL season worth of hockey, but the best is yet to come for the Vernon Vipers.

Saturday’s Royal Bank Cup opener against tournament host Camrose Kodiaks will be Vernon’s 84th tilt of the 2010-11 campaign as they strive to become the first-ever team to record three straight national junior A championships.

By this point, there is little more coaches Mark Ferner and Jason Williamson can do with regards to teaching the Vipers. The systems are in place, the character of the team is well-established and the players know what’s at stake.

“Jason and I, we have a little saying that…‘the hay is in the barn.’ When the game starts, it’s up to the players. We don’t score the goals, we don’t block the shots,” said Ferner, now in his fourth year behind the Viper bench.

With 14 new faces in the lineup to start the season, most pundits wouldn’t have picked the Vipers to repeat as B.C. Hockey League champions, let alone return to the national stage. Ferner credits his veterans for instilling the winning mind-set in the locker room.

“The culture that we have is spectacular. They just want to be around the rink,” said Ferner.

“We will represent the Vernon Vipers, the B.C. Hockey League, the city.”

The Kodiaks haven’t seen action since they bowed to the Spruce Grove Saints in the Alberta championship series on April 9. If there is one thing the layoff has given the Kodiaks, it is healthy bodies.

Camrose head coach Boris Rybalka, born in Vernon, expects Tyler Skauge, Jordan Hale, Mario Boilard and Jesse Altheim will return from injury reserve to face the Vipers Saturday.

“Those are four guys who didn’t play in the Spruce series. That is four key guys all muckers and grinders; three of the four are 20 year olds,” Rybalka told the Wetaskiwin Times.

“You can see where at times one guy coming back makes a difference… we have four.”

Rybalka, 44, making his sixth appearance in the RBC tourney, added: “Our goal is that on that Mother’s Day (May 8) we raise that RBC Cup.”

Just three Vipers have been through both RBC Cup runs in Victoria and Dauphin, Man. – defencemen Stevie Weinstein and Adam Thompson, and winger Bryce Kakoske.

The trio have each competed in at least half a dozen elimination games, including Game 7s in Fred Page and Doyle Cup playoff series, as well as semifinals and gold-medal games at the RBC.

“Every game is a Game 7, especially when you get into the playoff round (at the RBC). We’re not strangers to that,” said Weinstein, a Los Angeles product who is committed to the NCAA Division 1 Bentley Falcons.

Thompson, who led all Vernon blueliners with two goals and an assist in the Doyle series, says the RBC never gets old.

“This one will be a great time too. I’m really excited to do it this time with a whole bunch of new guys,” said the Calgary blueliner, a Yale Bulldogs prospect.

“Every year it’s been a new captaincy to raise the cup. My first year it was great to see Crow (Chris Crowell) lift it, then Krauser (Kevin Kraus) felt even greater, and if Dave (Robinson) gets a chance it’ll be a great feeling for me and the guys.”

As is the nature of playoff hockey, the Vipers have endured their share of injury woes. Dane Muench, Max Mowat, Phil Patenaude, Colton Sparrow, Kyle Murphy and Pat McGillis have all missed time to injury at some point during the post-season. Others have simply played through various bumps and bruises.

“It’s pretty easy to battle through some wounds when you’re playing for a national championship. We just dig deep, realize what’s on the line and put it all out there,” grinned Thompson.

SNAKE BITES: Viper forward Dylan Walchuk was named BCHL Player of the Week. The McBride product had points in each of the Vipers’ three road wins over the host Spruce Grove Saints, helping the Snakes to their third consecutive Doyle Cup. He ended the best-of-seven series with four goals and two assists, and now has a team-leading 21 points in the 23 playoff games...With the ice out at Wesbild Centre, the Vipers have been practising at Priest Valley Arena this week... In four seasons behind the bench, Ferner and Williamson have guided the Vipers to an impressive 165-51-7-17 regular-season record, and are 53-25 in playoff action (not including the RBC).