Vernon, BC: The Vernon Vipers dropped their second consecutive game Friday night, falling 4-1 to the Sherwood Park Crusaders in the first of back-to-back matchups.
The game was tight until the third period, when Sherwood Park pulled away. The Vipers nearly tied it up in the second after hitting a crossbar, but Crusaders forward Joseph Sinclair buried his second of the night to swing momentum.
Lane Sim scored his first BCHL goal midway through the second, with Koji Gibson earning the lone assist. Between the pipes, Oliver Kanat turned aside 31 of 34 shots in a solid effort.
Sherwood Park’s scoring came from Sinclair (2), Kent Moors, and Quincy Supprien. Goaltender Filip Vavro was sharp, stopping 31 of 32 shots.
Special teams were tested but held even — neither side converted on the man advantage. Vernon’s penalty kill was a bright spot, going a perfect 3-for-3 against a Crusaders powerplay that entered the weekend clicking at nearly 30%.
The Vipers look for redemption tonight in Game 2 of the weekend set. Edvin Nilsson continues to lead Vernon in scoring with six assists. This is the second of four meetings between the clubs, with the next two set for Sherwood Park.
📺 Watch live on FloHockey
📻 Listen on 107.5 Beach Radio & Vernon Matters (coverage begins 5:45 PM)
#TimeToStrike
