Despite a strong Viper effort that produced two third period goals, they didn’t get the desired result as the Warriors scored three of their own to win, 4-2.
Aaron Hadley and Adam Tambellini scored for the Vipers in the third as they took the play to the home team, outshooting them 15-10 and out-chancing them 9-4.
Hadley’s goal tied the game at 1-1, 5:06 into the third period. He came on the ice to change Mike Roberts while Logan Mick and Mitch McAllister were hemming in the Warriors. Hadley joined the fray at the West Kelowna goal mouth and, on the backhand, knocked a puck out of the air past Tyler Briggs.
Tambellini’s marker resulted from a similar play in the Warrior crease. With the score 3-1 and Austin Smith on the Viper bench, Tambellini batted a tumbling puck past Briggs at 19:43.
With one second remaining in the contest, Matt Anholt’s hundred-footer found the empty Viper net.
The key goal in the contest was scored by Braxton Bilous at 10:29 of that eventful third period. His point shot hit something in front and deflected over Smith’s shoulder.
However, the goal should not have counted because it followed a cross check that levelled Colton Sparrow in the Viper zone. After the goal, referee Mike Langin admitted to the Vipers that he had blown the call.
Ambrose Firkus scored the eventual winner at 16:28 when his wrister through traffic found the lower corner.
Following a pattern set in earlier games between the teams this year, the Vipers surrendered a late first period goal when the Hochhausen line pressured Viper defencemen at centre ice and poured into the Viper zone. Hochhausen swept in a rebound at 19:35.
Two Viper newcomers played well in this game.
In his second game for the Vipers, Dexter Dancs once again set up several scoring chances while centering Braedan Russell and Liam Board.
Andrew Tegeler showed excellent speed and hustle as he played on the right wing with Brendan Persley and Aaron Hadley. They were front and centre of a Viper concerted effort to be physical, which resulted in them outhitting the Warriors, 40-29.
In particular, the Vipers went after Seb Lloyd, who had burned them for six goals in the first three meetings this season. Lloyd had no good scoring chances in this game.
Likewise, the Warriors played special attention to Adam Tambellini. Defensive centres Shawn Hochhausen and Reid Simmonds dogged Tambellini’s every step.
