Warriors stop Vipers 4-1
Feb 16, 2016
Morning Star Staff
Wear pink, take an extended lunch and support the Vernon Vipers and anti-bullying awareness.
That’s the agenda for Wednesday morning at 11 as the Vipers host the West Kelowna Warriors at Kal Tire Place.
The Warriors scored two empty-netters and iced the Vipers 4-1 Tuesday morning before 1,700 BCHL fans at Royal LePage Place. Hundreds of elementary school students, waving pink thunder sticks, were in attendance and the same is expected today in Vernon.
“The kids played hard,” said Viper head coach/GM Mark Ferner, who spent 40 minutes post-game talking to league referee-in-chief Derek Adams about what he felt was one-sided and disrespectful officiating.
“We were up 1-0 going into the third and we had to kill off four penalties in the second period. They were marginal calls at best.”
Ben Butcher buried a rebound from a Brett Stapley shot to put Vernon ahead at 7:40 of the first. Butcher has 11 goals on the year.
West Kelowna got on the board just 44 seconds into the third period, as Jonathan Desbiens tied Trevor Bailey for the single-season Warriors goal record with his 41st, on the powerplay.
Moments after taking a hard fall into the boards, Desbiens got his own rebound and made a nifty move to beat Andrew Shortridge.
West Kelowna’s fourth line clicked for the winner at 14:19 as Reed Gunville one-timed a loose puck in the slot for his fifth.
Garrett Forster (23rd) and Quin Foreman (12th) converted empty netters.
The second-place Warriors (35 wins) outshot the fourth-place Vipers (22 wins) 37-28.
The Snakes are two points ahead of the Merritt Centennials for the final Interior Division playoff spot. Vernon has two games in hand.
Forwards Riley Brandt and Jagger Williamson missed the game due to injuries and will also sit out Wednesday. Newly-signed F Nick Rasovic made his 2016 debut with the Vipers on a line with Steven Jandrick and Charley Michalowski. Rasovic, a 19-year-old energy forward, is a former Viper.
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