Sammy DiBlasi was outstanding between the pipes, stopping all 28 shots he faced to earn his first BCHL victory and first BCHL shutout. The Vipers goaltender even found his way onto the scoresheet, picking up an assist in the win.
Offensively, it was a night of firsts. Mykolas Skadauskas, Jed Lake and Ben Trebicky each scored their first BCHL goals, while Aaron Zulinick rounded out the scoring with a powerplay marker in the third period. Six other Vipers chipped in with assists as Vernon received contributions throughout the lineup.Special teams once again played a role. The Vipers finished 1-for-2 on the powerplay and have now scored with the man advantage in each of their first two regular-season games. At the other end, Vernon's penalty kill was perfect on both Trail opportunities.
Chayse Johnson made 21 saves on 25 shots for the Smoke Eaters.
The shutout snapped a lengthy drought for Vernon. It was the Vipers' first regular-season shutout since October 25, 2024, when Colin Reay stopped all 31 shots in a victory over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
Lake, DiBlasi and Skadauskas earned the game's three Star Selections.
The victory improves Vernon to 1-1 on the young season, while Trail falls to 0-2.
The Vipers will wrap up their season-opening road trip next Friday when they return to Rogers Rink for another meeting with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
Photo Credit - Kallum Rae-Langlois
