Vipers tame Wild for second place
Morning Star Staff
Mathematically, the Vernon Vipers still had a chance of winning the B.C. Hockey league's Interior Division.
But they would need help to do so.
Vernon beat the Wenatchee Wild 4-3 at home Friday and closed out the regular season Saturday against the fourth-place Trail Smoke Eaters at Kal Tire Place.
Vernon entered Saturday's game two points ahead of third-place Wenatchee-who played in Penticton Saturday-and two points behind the first-place Vees, who finish the regular season Sunday at home against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
The Vees need only a point to clinch first place.
A Vernon win and two regulation time losses by the Vees would give Vernon the pennant and a first-round playoff date with the Coquitlam Express, the fifth-place finishers in the Mainland Division who cross over into the Interior to become the division's eighth seed.
If Vernon finishes second, they'll play the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, who lost 8-5 Friday in Trail wich, combined with Merritt's single point in a 2-1 home-ice overtime defeat to the West Kelowna Warriors, officially put the Gorillas in seventh spot.
Vernon holds tiebreakers with both Penticton and Wenatchee in the event of ties in the standings.
Defenceman Michael Ufberg scored the game-winner Friday night in front of 2,222 fans at Kal Tire Place at 5:34 of the third period, giving Vernon a 4-2 lead over the Wild, who jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead on goals by AJ Vanderbeck and Zac Galambos.
Niko Karamanis and Jimmy Lambert replied before the end of the frame for the Vipers, who took a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes on the second of the night from Karamanis.
Lucas Sowder cut the Vernon lead to 4-3 with 7:31 left but the Wild could not beat Ty Taylor for the equalizer. The playoffs start March 2.
No comments:
Post a Comment