Clark Backstops Silverback Win:

This is posted on the Vipers website:

Clark Backstops Silverback Win
 
Sunday, February 3, 2013 - Submitted by Don Klepp

Down 3-1 to the Silverbacks in the third period, the Vipers tried to reprise their comeback win of the previous evening, but Salmon Arm goalie Adam Clark had other ideas.

Although the Vipers came on hard in the last 10 minutes, the 6'5" netminder found ways to block and smother pucks. He also had some good fortune when the puck rolled just wide or when a defenceman tied up a Viper stick with the puck loose in the crease.

The other story for the Silverbacks was their leading scorer, Shane Hanna. He scored two big league goals as he continued to be a Viper killer this year.

His first strike came 10 seconds into a power play at 11:38 of the first period. Vernon native Harlan Orr gathered the puck from a scramble draw and passed back to Brayden Sherbinin as a crowd converged in front of Danny Todosychuk's crease.  Sherbinin went across ice to Hanna who ripped a low slap shot that grazed the inside of Todosychuk's left goal post.

That goal erased a Viper 1-0 lead that had been formed on the Vipers' first shot on net, 33 seconds into the game. After weathering a strong Silverback forecheck on the first shift, Mason Blacklock and Andrew Tegeler came through centre ice. Blacklock, Vernon's January Player of the Month, used Tegeler as a decoy and fired a high shot that Clark could not stop.

Hanna decided a close contest at 19:19 of the second period when he came off the right boards inside the Viper blue line, cut to the middle, and wristed a chest high shot that found its way through traffic and past a screened Todosychuk.

The 'Backs got an important insurance goal when Harlan Orr was left unmarked in the faceoff circle to the right of Todosychuk. Orr's shot found the top of the net.

For the Vipers, it was a case of "woulda, shoulda, coulda." They outhit the Silverbacks, 37-27; they outshot the visitors, 35-30; and they registered 21 scoring chances to the Silverbacks' 14.

The home team had a golden chance to take the lead when the score was 1-1. At 18:33 of the first period, Coldstream's Alex Jewell hammered Marc Hetnik into the boards to earn a major penalty for checking from behind.

The Vipers managed just two scoring chances during the ensuing five minutes as the Silverbacks kept them to the outside for the most part. After the game, Coach Jason Williamson said that "The way Clark was playing, we just needed to take the puck to the net hard and overpower them down low. You have to pay the price in those situations."