Smokies Burn Vipers:

This was in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Smokies burn Vipers

Morning Star Staff

Wednesday, September 19 2018

One night, the second period was good to the Vernon Vipers. The next night, not so much.

The Snakes split their weekend B.C. Hockey League games at Kal Tire Place, downing the West Kelowna Warriors 4-3 Friday, with all four goals coming in the middle frame.

Then, 24 hours later, the Trail Smoke Eaters scored three times in the second for a 3-1 win.

Vernon is 2-2 heading into the annual Bauer Showcase event this week in Chilliwack.

After Alex Swetlikoff staked the Vipers to a 1-0, first period lead Saturday, the Smokies responded in the middle period, with two of the goals coming on a five minute powerplay after Vernon forward Jesse Lansdell was assessed a five-minute major for a blow to the head of a Trail player.

Lansdell has been suspended four games by the league for the incident.

Jeremy Smith and Levi Glasman scored 31 seconds apart with the man advantage for Trail, and the Smoke Eaters got the final goal at 12:25 from veteran Tyler Ghirardosi.

Vernon fired 38 shots at Smoke Eaters goalie Adam Marcoux while Aidan Porter took the loss, making 24 stops.

Aidan Hosein picked up his first BCHL win Friday, making 19 saves as the Vipers shut down the Warriors.

Forward Josh Latta snapped a scoreless tie with carbon copy goals four minutes apart early in the middle frame for the Vipers.

Latta picked up a puck in the slot area with his back to West Kelowna goalie Connor Hopkins, turned, fired and beat Hopkins to the stick side on both markers.

Veteran defenceman Michael Young, on a powerplay, and rookie forward Nicholas Wildgoose, with the eventual game-winner, completed the Vipers scoring.

The Bauer Showcase enters it's sixth year with each team playing two games that count in the standings.

Vernon plays Thursday at 4:30pm against the Nanaimo Clippers, and Saturday at 4pm against the Surrey Eagles.

"The response in the first five years from scouts a the college and professional level has been overwhelmingly positive," said BCHL commissioner Chris Hebb of the Showcase. "Prospera Centre offers the ideal venue for talent evaluators to see all players under one roof in one weekend.

"For our teams and players, this is extremely valuable as they are able to interact with scouts from higher levels and put their names on the radar screen for the future."

The Clippers coached by 1990 Vernon Lakers Centennial Cup winner Darren Naylor, are off to a 1-3 start. The Eagles are 0-4, the only team without a victory thus far.