Merritt 5 Vernon 2

I have had season tickets for 29 years and been following junior hockey in Vernon for over thirty five years. I haven't missed a Vipers home game in nine years and only missed three home games since the 1998-99 season. For anyone who couldn't attend or watch tonight's Vipers game, here are my thought's and view's from tonight's game. You may agree or disagree but we all have our own view and opinion on the game. This is my opinion and thought's on how I saw tonight's game. I try to be unbiased and give a fare recap from both sides. Thank you for stopping by and visiting my blog.

I was at tonight's Vipers-Centennials game as Merritt defeated Vernon 5-2 in front of 1,715 fans at Kal Tire Place.

Starting Goaltenders:

Vernon: Aidan Porter
Merritt: Vincent Duplessis

1st Period: About a minute and twenty five seconds into the 1st period Teddy Wooding found himself alone in the slot, couldn't beat Vincent Duplessis before Ben Helgeson tried burying the rebound on a shot that was blocked in front. The Cents would eventually spring Brendan Schneider in for the parcial odd man rush. Schneider ripped a shot from the circle that was stopped by Aidan Porter. Two good quality chances at both ends of the rink. Merritt would get an early powerplay about two minutes in. Aidan Porter looked to make a stop at the side of the net, before the Centennials moved the puck around before Matt Kopperud's shot went off a Viper defender in front landed on the stick of Nick Granowicz who hit the open cage, giving Merritt a early 1-0 lead at 3:08 Kopperud and Talon Zakall picked up the assists. Just before the halfway mark former Salmon Arm Silverback & Chilliwack Chief Austin Chorney went to lay a hip check on Brett Roloson. Roloson went down very easily after barely being touched, while it was Chorney heading to the penalty box. Both referee's talked things over before sending Roloson to the sin bin for unsportsmanlike conduct. Both players were shocked they were given penalties. Just past the midway mark Jack Judson coughed up the puck, allowing Rylan Van Unen in for the breakaway. Van Unen looked to beat Aidan Porter going crossbar and in but with no goal light the play continued. Van Unen with his arms in the air, thought he gave Merritt a 2-0 lead. On the following stoppage, the Cents didn't challenge the previous play as the game continued. You could hear the puck ring off the post/crossbar. About a minute and a half later the Vipers would jump on their first powerplay of the evening. Josh Latta with some nifty passing setup Jack Judson who's shot from the blueline found it's way to the back of the goal, tying the game 1-1 at 13:03 Latta drew the lone helper. It was 1-1 after 20 minutes of play. I thought the Centennials were the better team. The Cents had a bit of an edge in play, carried the play often at times. The two teams looked evenly matched at times but it was Merritt who's speed was the difference. The Centennials didn't get many pucks to the net, didn't create/or generate much for offence, did have a lot more puck possession. The Snakes didn't see as much time with the puck, just like Merritt didn't generate or create many offensive opportunities. Vernon was getting pucks to the goal, but a lot of shots were from well out. Vernon outshot Merritt 11-4.

2nd Period: The Vipers would get an early powerplay that only lasted 1:04 before taking a minor of their own. While playing four on four, Teddy Wooding stole the puck at the blueline, turned on the jets went in for the breakaway couldn't beat Centennials starting goaltender Vincent Duplessis on the backhand. Logan Cash hustled hard for the puck setup Wooding in front who had two cracks at it, buried his second chance in tight, giving Vernon their first lead of the night, 2-1 at 4:02 Cash with the assist. Once the Cents penalty expired Merritt would get a shortened powerplay they couldn't capitalize on. Nick Granowicz looked to be hurt/injured was in some discomfort on his way off the ice, was attended to by the trainer on the bench but stayed in the game. Just before the halfway mark the Centennials would jump back to the man advantage and again didn't really create/or generate much as Vernon killed off the minor. Just past the midway mark Josh Latta with a burst of speed, blew by his defender before cutting hard to the goal, couldn't stuff home the puck on the way to the front of the net on a good individual effort from Latta. Minutes later Connor Marritt with a quick shot from just inside the blueline forced Vincent Duplessis into making a bit of a difficult save on a shot that handcuffed the Merritt goaltender. Minutes later the Centennials went back to the PP. Once again the Snakes with a good penalty kill, would kill off the penalty. With four minutes remaining Nick Granowicz with a quick shot from the circle couldn't solve Vipers starting goaltender Aidan Porter. About fourty five seconds later Michael Young and Matthew Kopperud exchanged a few words, while giving each other a slash and a punch. Both players were given two minute minors. Seconds later Merritt would get a late penalty as the fans at Kal Tire Place were letting the referee's know what they thought about the call. The Vipers would be forced to killing off their fourth penalty of the middle frame. It was 2-1 Vernon after 40 minutes of play. Tonight reminded me a lot like last night's game. The Vipers with a strong second period, played hard, were skating hard, moving the puck, carried the better of the play for most of the period. The Snakes didn't get a whole lot of good opportunities, managed to have more puck possession. The Centennials didn't nearly have as much time with the puck, were chasing Vernon a lot more in this period. The Cents go 0-4 with the man advantage, could have changed the looks of this game heading into the 3rd if the powerplay was clicking. The Centennials did come on late in the final four or five minutes, had a bit of pressure towards the end of the period. The referees called nine minors took the flow right out of the game by calling so many penalties. I thought the Vipers were the better team. Shots were even 8-8.

3rd Period: Off the opening faceoff, Elan Bar-Lev-Wise carried the play into the Merritt zone ripped a quick shot from the circle that forced Vincent Duplessis into making a blocker save. Merritt would jump on an early powerplay just fifty one seconds into the final frame. The Cents only needed a minute to capitalize. Bradley Cocca with a lazer of a shot beat Aidan Porter tying the game 2-2 at 1:51 Brendan Schneider & Christian Sabin collected the helpers. The Vipers come right back with a play off the rush. Austin Chorney couldn't beat Vincent Duplessis on the wrap around. Just a minute after tying the game, Daniel Tkac with a shot along the ice gives Merritt a 3-2 lead at 2:53 Tkac's goal was unassisted. The Cents bench showing a ton of emotion on the bench after the go ahead goal. This goal took the life out of Vernon as the Vipers looked dejected. Just over three minutes later the Centennials would get their second powerplay of the 3rd and get their second PP goal of the frame. Mathieu Gosselin gives Merritt a 4-2 lead at 7:39 Talon Zakall and Nick Wicks with the assists. Minutes later Teddy Wooding with a strong individual effort couldn't get the Snakes to within a goal after a big stop from Vincent Duplessis. As the period went on the Vipers struggled at times, missing passes, players not in the right position, the puck getting blocked or hitting a stick on it's way to the goal. Vernon just having no puck luck couldn't gain any traction in the 3rd. Merritt didn't quit skating, played a very solid shut down 3rd, were finishing their checks, grinding guys down, making it hard to play against. With about three and a half minutes left Aidan Porter would be run over before having to push the Merritt player off him, taking a swing at the Cents forward. With no call on the play and the Viper bench up in arms, the play continued. Porter was forced into making an unreal pad save while down and out and a bit of a scrum going on in front of him. Once the play come to a stop, the Viper netminder let the referee have it on a blown call. The Centennials would call a late timeout before the Vipers would call their timeout. The Snakes would get Aidan Porter to the bench for the extra attacker with 2:10 left and down by two goals. The Vipers struggled to even muster any kind of offence before Brendan Schneider with a long shot from well inside the neutral zone, hit the post before the open cage, giving Merritt a commanding 5-2 lead at 19:40 as the fans started making their way to the exists. Bradley Cocca and Christian Sabin picked up the assists. Merritt would hang on for the 5-2 victory. The Vipers held a 2-1 lead heading into the 3rd when the wheels come off. The Cents with two powerplay goals took the wind out of the sails and the Snakes couldn't recover. Vernon playing with basically three lines ran out of gas, had troubles gaining any traction for the remainder of the period. Merritt with two quick back to back goals played a hard nosed third period, finishing their checks, didn't give Vernon any time or space, limited their chances and kept the Vipers to the outside. The Vipers struggled offensively and couldn't generate/or create much of anything. The Centennials played hard in a greasy road win. The Cents were by far the better team. Merritt outshot Vernon 11-8.

Top Player's: (Vernon)

Teddy Wooding (1 goal) Scored his first career BCHL goal Was by far the Vipers best player in the loss. Had a strong night all around, was weaving in and out of traffic, created/generated some very good quality opportunities, gave the Cents defence all kinds of trouble. Work and skated hard, played hard, really showed off his talent.

Carver Watson I thought played very well on Vernon's blueline. Made a few nice heads up plays, was solid defensively.

Elan Bar-Le-Wise Played very well in the win over Wenatchee Friday night, Played very well in the loss to Merritt tonight.

Game Thought's: (Vernon)

I thought Vernon held their own in the opening frame, come out of the first twenty minutes with a tie may have outshot Merritt but didn't have much offensive zone time, didn't have a lot of puck possession and played a bit too much in their own end at times. The Centennials speed gave the Vipers some troubles in that 1st period. Like last night, the Snakes were a different team come the 2nd period. I thought the Vipers played much better in the middle frame last night and again tonight. I thought Vernon was the better team in the 2nd period and played their best hockey in that middle frame. Scoring the only goal, the Snakes had much more time with the puck, were skating hard, making plays happen. They didn't generate or create a ton of opportunities but had the better of the play at times. I also thought the penalty kill was also very good in that second period, killing off all four minors. It was the 3rd period that killed Vernon. Two quick back to back goals by Merritt and that seemed to change the tide and the flow of the game. The Vipers just couldn't get much of anything going after Merritt's 3rd goal. The Snakes couldn't gain any traction, had a few opportunities but never really put any pressure on the Cents the rest of the way. The Snakes really missed Jagger Williamson, Alex Swetlikoff and Jesse Lansdell. Lansdell was serving his final game of a four game suspension tonight. I have noticed the Vipers take way too many penalties so far this year, ten penalties tonight. Weather or not they were rewarding or not you cant take ten penalties in a hockey game and expect to win. Penalties killed the Vipers tonight. I don't like to come on here and complain about the officials but after tonight it's hard not too. It seemed like every time a Viper touched a Merritt player, they were given a penalty. Some rather mythical penalties called on Vernon. At one point the referee's even got the wrong player and had to talk things over before pulling the player out of the penalty box and sending in the player that took the penalty. When the Vipers goaltender gets run over late in the game and no call on the play, the referee's were lucky there wasn't a huge scrum/fight after the play. Several calls were very soft and took the flow out of the game. The second period was filled with penalties. After eight games the Vipers have struggled offensively and need to go out and acquire or bring in a goal scorer or a kid that can put the puck in the net. The Vipers have no finish in and around the net. Vernon is one of the lowest scoring teams in the league. The Vipers have been inconsistent this year and their record shows it. The Snakes have lost four of their last five games. A very disappointing-small crowd on hand for tonight's matchup. With the loss Vernon falls to 3-3-2-0 drop to last place in the Interior Division.

Top Player's: (Merritt)

Nick Wicks (1 assist) Not the biggest kid, but can skate and move the puck. This kid has some wheels, looked good through out the night.

Vincent Guy recently signed by the Cents playing with no name bar on his jersey was another kid who isn't very big but has some wheels. Played last season with the QCHL St. Lawrence Lions. Was hard to defend against, gave the Vipers all kinds of troubles through out the contest. Really opened up the ice, made things happen in a hurry.

Bradley Cocca (1 goal & 1 assist) I thought was one of the better Merritt forwards. Played hard, can skate, move the puck up ice and has a wicked shot.

Brett Roloson The son of former NHL goaltener Dwyane Roloson I thought played hard-smart. Had a strong game in the win.

Game Thought's: (Merritt)

Only managed four shots on goal in the opening period I still thought the Centennials were the better team in that 1st period. Merritt really used their speed to open the ice, didn't create/or generate much for chances but had a bit of edge in play, had more puck possession. Merritt seemed to have some troubles with the Vipers in the middle frame, but managed to come on late with some pressure wich seemed to carry over into the 3rd period. The Cents could have really changed the game if they connected on at least two of their powerplays in the middle frame. The turning point was the Centennials two quick back to back goals to start the final frame. This took the life out of the Snakes, while Merritt didn't back off, they battled hard, didn't give Vernon any time or space, wore down the Vipers with a strong work ethic in the final twenty minutes. Give the Cents credit for limiting the Viper offence to just a few quality chances. Merritt was hard to play against in the 3rd, made things tough for Vernon. The Centennials with a greasy road win snap their two game losing skid. Good to see a small handful of Centennial fans made the trip. With the win Merritt improves to 5-4-0-0 sit atop the Division. This is the Centennials first win over Vernon this year, are now 1-3 (preseason & regular season).

Scratches:

Vernon:

Jagger Williamson (Injured)
Jesse Lansdell (Suspended)
Alex Swetlikoff (Injured)

Merritt:

Ben Ward
Jaydon Fetter

Energy Player of the Game:

Jack Judson (1 goal)

Three Star's:

1st Star: Bradley Cocca (1 goal & 1 assist)
2nd Star: Teddy Wooding (1 goal)
3rd Star: Nick Granowicz (1 goal)

Boxscore-Game Summary,

https://bchl.ca/stats/game-summary/8556  

Merritt Centennials Blog,

http://q101.ca/sports

Game Report,

https://lscluster.hockeytech.com/game_reports/official-game-report.php?lang_id=1&client_code=bchl&game_id=8556

Text Boxscore,

https://lscluster.hockeytech.com/game_reports/text-game-report.php?lang_id=1&client_code=bchl&game_id=8556