I was born and raised in Vernon, BC and been watching/following junior hockey in Vernon my entire life. My family watched senior men's hockey in Vernon in the 1950's and has been watching/following junior hockey in Vernon since getting a team in 1961. I have two family members that played junior hockey in Vernon. I have had season tickets since 1990, missing 40 home games. I started and created this blog in 2008 and have over 5.6 million viewers.
I was at tonight's Vernon Vipers-Sherwood Park Crusaders game as the Crusaders won 4-3 in overtime in front of 1,839 fans at Kal Tire Place.
Starting Goaltenders:
Vernon Vipers: Brendan Gee
Sherwood Park Crusaders: Jack Scali
1st Period: I thought both teams were fairly even early but it was the Vipers who were the better team for most of the period. Vernon come ready to play and looked very good. The Snakes had the better of the opportunities, more puck possession and carried more of the play. For just the second time this season, the Vipers opened the scoring. Vernon's defence played much better tonight, while the forwards were really skating, created lots of open ice. Sherwood Park didn't look like the same team, didn't show that explosive offence, played well but didn't look as dangerous compared to Friday's game. Crusaders Captain Stevie Grumley took a big hit and didn't return to the hockey game. It was 1-0 Vernon after 20 minutes of play. Shots were 8-6 Vipers.
2nd Period: This was one of if not the Snakes best period this season. Vernon carried the better of the play, had a ton of puck possession, zone time and had several good looks/quality chances. The hometown Vipers had a 2-0 lead but could have easily been up by four or five goals if they capitalized on their chances. The visiting Crusaders couldn't seem to get much going this period, saw a lot of time in their own end, relied on their goaltender to keep them in the hockey game. Sherwood Park catches a break late in the period after Brayden Pankey loses an edge, allows the Cru to move in and score on the PP to get to within a goal and gain some life. It was 2-1 Vipers after 40 minutes of play. Shots were 14-12 Snakes.
3rd Period: The Cru jumped on the Vipers early and it paid off. Maxime Ly tied the game minutes into the period before the Crusaders took their first lead two minutes later. Sherwood Park was by far the better team and carried the better of the play for a lot of the period. The Crusaders were very aggressive with the forecheck, were winning the races, battles on the wall, were skating, moving the puck and had the Vipers on their heels. The Cru looked like the team I saw last night. Vernon was back on their heels, stopped skating, looked very scrambled, making poor passes, making mistakes, had trouble getting the puck and generating offence. The Vipers didn't have much time with the puck and didn't get any real zone time. The Vipers didn't look or play that great. Down 3-2 Ethan Sundar tied the game with a highlight reel goal to force overtime. It was 3-3 after 60 minutes of play. Shots were 8-7 Vernon.
Overtime: The Vipers started the extra frame on the power play that was carried over from the 3rd. With only twenty two seconds remaining, Vernon was unable to capitalize. The Snakes would get another power play 1:49 into OT Jack Scali made two big pad saves before Maxime Ly used his speed to blow by the Viper defenders and score shorthanded at 2:34 giving the Sherwood Park Crusaders a come from behind 4-3 overtime victory.
Vernon Vipers Top Players:
Edvin Nilsson Was one of the better Vipers this evening. A smooth skater, carried the puck often tonight, made some nice rushes up ice, opened up the ice and generated some plays. Played very well at both ends of the rink
Michael Munroe (1 goal) Opened the scoring, played a heck of a game. I have been super impressed with Michael's play this season. What a huge improvement from last season. Munroe has been one of the best Vipers in almost every game, was really skating, moving his feet, created lots of open ice, generated/created plays, played with a ton of jump/energy
Tyler Chiovetti I thought played well and looked good in the OT loss
Evan Sundar (1 goal) Had a strong game, was hard to contain/defend, played with a ton of jump/energy. Sundar is very skilled and it showed tonight, making all kinds of slick moves with the puck
Oscar Bjork I thought played well on the Snakes backend
Brendan Gee (23 saves) This may have been Gee's best game/performance this season. I thought was very good in goal for Vernon. Gave up a tough goal towards the end of the 2nd period on the PP
Game Thought's: Vernon Vipers
- The Vipers are 0-4-2-0 all-time vs the Sherwood Park Crusaders
- The Vipers have struggled offensively this season. They get their looks/opportunities but having trouble capitalizing on those chances. They don't seem to get the breaks or puck luck
- Tonight's the final game of a two game home stand
- The Vipers played a very disciplined game, only taking five penalties
- This was very entertaining/exciting hockey game
- The Snakes opened the scoring, for only the second time this season
- Since teams from Alberta joined the BCHL last season, Vernon is 6-13-2-0 vs Alberta teams
- I really liked Vernon's 1st period. I thought both teams were fairly even to start but the Vipers were the better team for most of the opening frame. I thought the Vipers generated more offence, had the better of the opportunities and played very well vs one of the top teams in the league. The Snakes opened the scoring, something they have only done twice this year, had a very good period
- Tonight's attendance was announced at 1,839
- These two teams play each other four times this season
- Including the preseason, the Vipers are 1-8-2-0
- I thought Vernon's defence played much much better tonight, compared to last night. The Vipers defence didn't give up many breakaways/odd man rushes, didn't allow the Crusaders to get in behind the defence, were blocking shots, clearing the zone
- The Snakes went 0-7 with the man advantage
- These two teams will play again October 25th in Sherwood Park
- The Vipers next game is the BCHL Showcase October 12th in Abbotsford vs Coquitlam
- The 2nd period had to be one of if not the Snakes best period of the season. Vernon was by far the better team, carried the better of the play, had lots of puck possession, zone time and all kinds of good looks/opportunities. Ahead 2-0 could have easily been up by four or five goals if they capitalized on their chances. A late PP goal was the turning point, gave Sherwood Park some life and got them back in the hockey game
- The Vipers are 1-3-2-0 at home this season
- The Snakes played much better tonight
- Vernon's power play struggled and has all season. I noticed they go with one d-man and four forwards
- The Vipers are 0-1-1-0 vs Sherwood Park this season
- Defenceman Taylor Curtis made his Vipers debut tonight
- The team isn't winning games but the games have been close, entertaining and the teams been fun to watch this season. A couple of bounces, capitalize on a few opportunities and they may have a few more wins. It's fun going to the games again, especially after the poor teams we have seen the past six years
- With a 2-1 lead heading to the 3rd, the Crusaders were by far the better team. It was mostly all Sherwood Park in the 3rd, a team that gained life/momentum with a late PP goal to end the 2nd period, come out hungry and looking to strike. The Cru were all over the hometown Vipers for most of the period. Sherwood Park had carried the better of the play, had more zone time, puck possession, were skating in and around the Snakes, winning the races/battles, played their best period of the night. Vernon struggled for most of the period, stopped skating, couldn't make a pass, were scrambled at times, making mistakes, coughing up pucks and struggled offensively with not a lot of time with the puck
- This was a game Vernon should have won. They were the better team the first two periods and deserved the win/2 pts. The Vipers had a ton of looks/opportunities in the 2nd period, could have easily scored three or four goals and been up 5 or 6-0
- I like the looks of our team, Matt Cooke and the coaching staff have this team playing hard, competing and playing as a team. The team never once looked or played like this the past six season under previous management/coaches. It's still early and if the Vipers continue to play like they did tonight, the wins will come
- This was the final time Vipers fans will get a chance to see Sherwood Park, as the final two meetings vs the Crusaders will be played in Sherwood Park
- The Snakes not only start overtime on the PP but then get a second power play shortly after and a chance to win the game. The Vipers had a couple of good looks on the PP but Jack Scali made two big pad saves, before Maxime Ly used his speed to pull away from the Vernon defenders and score on a shorthanded breakaway, a tough loss for the Vipers
- Both goaltenders played very well
- I'm not a fan of seeing the same team in back to back games. I don't mind a home and home series but seeing the same team play twice at home isn't for me. I so far don't like this year's schedule
- The Vipers penalty kill looked good and has been very good so far this season
- The Vipers will hit the road for a seven game road trip, won't play at home again until November 7th
- The Snakes did a much better job at containing/defending Sherwood Park's skilled forwards
- With the overtime loss, Vernon falls to 1-4-2-0 sits 5th in the Interior West Division
Sherwood Park Crusaders Top Players:
Maxime Ly (2 goals) Scored the overtime winner, played well in both games over the weekend
Brendan O'Keefe (1 assist) Was another Crusader that played well in both games vs the Vipers this weekend
Mikhail Mishin I thought was one of better Crusaders tonight. Noticed him often, seemed to always been involved in the play
Jack Scali (30 saves) This kid played very well in goal for Sherwood Park. Not the biggest netminder but made some key saves, keeping his team in the hockey game. It was the 2nd period with the Vipers pressing, made some stops to keep the Snakes off the board.
Game Thought's: Sherwood Park Crusaders
- The Crusaders make their second and final regular season visit to Vernon
- Sherwood Park is 3-0-0-0 on the road
- I thought both teams were fairly even early but the hometown Vipers were the better team in the 1st period. The Cru didn't see a lot of time in the offensive zone, didn't get any real quality opportunities, didn't run and gun like they did last night
- Defenceman/Captain Stevie Grumley took a big hit in the 1st, went to the dressing room and never returned
- Both teams started different goaltenders tonight
- Sherwood Park went 1-2 with the power play
- The Crusaders didn't look like the same team I saw Friday. Sherwood Park was outplayed in the first two periods, were lucky to still be in the hockey game going into the 3rd
- Tonight's the second game of a three game road trip
- The Cru got into penalty trouble, taking nine penalties
- Sherwood Park, Coquitlam and Trail are the only two teams that are still undefeated
- The Crusaders didn't have a great 2nd period, were outplayed. The Cru saw a lot of time in their own end, gave up lots of looks/chances, were chasing the puck. Sherwood Park didn't have a lot of time in the offensive zone, didn't generate a ton of offence this period. The turning point, come late in the period on the PP. A Vernon defender loses an edge, allows some open ice, which the Cru find the back of the net, and get to within a goal. This goal gives the team some life, momentum and changes the swing of the game, heading into the 3rd
- The Crusaders next game is Friday in Spruce Grove
- Sherwood Park's PK was very good, killing off every penalty, kept the Vipers off the scoreboard
- Good teams like the Crusaders, seem to find ways to win and that's what happened tonight
- Sherwood Park jumped on the Vipers early to start the 3rd, were very aggressive with the forecheck, were winning the battles/races, had lots of puck possession, zone time, had Vernon on their heels. A big goal just minutes into the period, tied the game before taking their first lead of the game two minutes later. The Cru were the better team, carried the better of the play. A big PK at the end of the period, to force overtime
- Give the Crusaders full credit for not folding the tents, coming from behind down 2-0
- The Cru is third in league scoring with twenty seven goals
- The Crusaders could have easily been down 5 or 6-0 in the 2nd period but thanks to some puck luck and solid goaltending, they stay in the game, get on the board late towards the end of the period to get within a goal and gain some life/momentum heading into the 3rd
- With the overtime victory, Sherwood Park improves to 5-0-0-0 sits 1st in the Interior East Division
Scratches:
Vernon Vipers:
Jett Quaschnick
Emils Skeltins (Injured)
Nathaniel Harvey
Alex Edwards (Injured)
Nickolas Kovich
Antoine Demers
Sherwood Park Crusaders:
Sullivan Martin
Chase Trompeter
Divyne Apolion
Jude Bray
Energy Player of the Game:
Edvin Nilsson
Three Star's:
1st Star: Maxime Ly (2 goals)
2nd Star: Evan Sundar (1 goal)
3rd Star: Deagan McMillan (2 assists)
Boxscore-Game Summary,
Sherwood Park Crusaders @ Vernon Vipers Saturday, October 04, 2025 | BCHL League Site
Game Report,
Text Box Score,
Official statistics powered by LeagueStat.com
Vernon Junior Hockey History website,
8 comments:
Ya but, I was at tonights game sitting in the end zone, 1000-1200 fans, in attendance, at most, period!
Ya but, I have noticed odd names on back of jersey ie: B jork, Pan key, those actual way to spell them or is it an error on the part of who ever does that sort of thing? Reminds me of the time when they were “OFFICE OFFICIALS” instead of “OFF ICE OFFICIALS”.
Ya but, I thought we played great, if only they could play like the second period all game - now, were they that good or was SPC playing possum?
Ya but, not a big fan of hearing we are getting two Russians on the team Monday hope all the Ukrainians in the area take notice, total BS in my humble opinion.
Ya but, we now have the same record now as we had after 7 games last year, put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Ya but, hope the next month is better for the team and they come up with a few wins will be an interesting time but, if it ends up to be much of the same maybe just maybe the boo birds will come out and FIRE THE COACH, just saying is all!
Ya but, been so long hearing the announcer say, Put the baby to bed, that the baby is now 10 years old, time to put that saying to rest.
Ya but, thats my rant, toot-a-loo folks see ya’all Nov 7
Go, Vip ers Go! ha ha
It was a good game for the Vipers. More work is needed on pacing themselves and increasing conditioning as they were flat in the third period. But overall a good game for them. They are not losing by multiple goals, which means they will have to learn how to play with a lead and close out the game with a win.
The attendance questioning is getting old. It’s been explained multiple times how it works. Every rink does it the exact same way. Seats sold equals the number in the building. Can you Kindly learn this so it’s not the same comment over and over again. You have an amazing day! Go Vipers Go!
The Vipers played a great, were all over them. Sherwood Park was the better team for about the first ten minutes of the third period, then the Vipers came alive again. We had them on the ropes but just didn't squeeze them tight enough in the end. We fought hard and played great at the end to tie it but should have scored on the PP in overtime. We need a couple of snipers.
That was for sure a top 3 performance by the Vipers over the last several years if not number 1 even though they lost.
I heard more pad thumps this game than I’ve heard in awhile. Hopefully they work on picking twine under pressure as drills.
The skill is easy to learn but hard to master in game.
Although there are plenty of improvements over last year so far I’m hoping the coaching can pick up on the conditioning some. They seemed to wear out in the third, it was pure adrenaline that kept them in it at the end.
Tough showing for the vipers against SPC. Really need our new supposedly “TOP” players to show up. Haven’t seen anything promising from them yet.
Captain needs to work harder
Could not agree more, r.e. the attendance gripes. Wanna see small crowds? Visit any coastal team - we’re massive by comparison. Good job coming out and supporting your team, Vernon!
So my name on this site has been hijacked by someone who needed a name. I chose the name Bert Olmstead because I knew him when I was kid back in the 1950s in Saskatchewan and he was on his way up and eventually won a few Stanley Cups and made it to the Hall of Fame. I won't be coming back on here. This worse than people hiding behind Anonymous.
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