Vipers Bare Fangs In Opening Victory Over Kodiaks:

This is in todays Edmonton Journal Newspaper:

Vipers bare fangs in opening victory over Kodiaks

Defending RBC Cup champs come out firing top start national championship

By Mario Annicchiarico, edmontonjournal.com

May 1, 2011

CAMROSE — For the most part, it looked as if Boris Rybalka had his Camrose Kodiaks watching the wrong video in preparation for the RBC Cup that began Saturday night at EnCana Arena at the Edgeworth Centre in Camrose.

Having sat for 18 days, Rybalka and his troops had plenty of time to scout any and all of the opposition, but the Kodiaks found themselves down 2-0 in the first 6:13 and outshot 8-1 in the opening 12 minutes against the two-time RBC Cup-champion Vernon Vipers.

The Kodiaks never fully recovered, dropping a 4-2 decision to the tournament favourites to launch the nine-day Canadian junior A championship before roughly 1,700 fans.

The Vipers struck quickly as Brett Corkey got Vernon on the board at 4:12 of the first after a couple of muggings in front of Camrose netminder Dalyn Flette’s net and a delayed penalty about to be called.

Just 2:01 later Michael Zalewski’s shot deflected in off a Camrose defenceman as the Vipers made it 2-0 on a power play.

The ice was tilted in Vernon’s favour for most of the opening frame before Kenny Bradley recorded the Kodiaks’ second shot 12:10 in.

Camrose cut the lead to 2-1 when Mario Boilard deflected a point shot by Vipers goaltender Kirby Halcrow on a Kodiaks’ power play at 16:30. Vernon outshot Camrose 9-6 in the opening 20 minutes.

After a scoreless second, Zalewski added his second of the night at 5:14 of the third period as he fought off defenceman Jonathan Lashyn and rifled a high snapshot glove side on Flette.

Sam Jardine cut the lead to 3-2 on a Camrose man advantage midway through the third after the Kodiaks’ power play failed miserably in the second, garnering just two shots over three straight opportunities. The second period also ended with Flette foiling Vernon’s David Robinson on a breakaway just before the buzzer sounded.

John Kinsley clinched it with a Vernon power-play effort at 12:19 of the third as Darren Nowick collected his third assist of the night.

The Vipers are looking for a record third-straight national crown after recently disposing of the No. 1-ranked Spruce Grove Saints in a seven-game series in the Doyle Cup. Vernon has now travelled across the Rockies for a third time in less than a week, returning home last Sunday only to venture back to central Alberta.

The champs had plenty of pep in their game, outshooting the well-rested Kodiaks 31-24 overall.