Okotoks, AB – The Vernon Vipers had a lead, then nearly erased a late deficit, but came up just short in a 4-3 loss to the Okotoks Oilers Friday night at Viking Rentals Centre.
Edvin Nilsson opened the scoring for the Vipers, while Lane Sim and Tyler Chiovetti also found the back of the net.
Oliver Kanat turned in another solid performance, making 22 saves on 25 shots.
Special teams played a key role — the Vipers went 0 for 6 on the powerplay but were perfect on the penalty kill, finishing 3 for 3.
For the Oilers, Jordan Murray, Brady Engelkes, Brett Wilson, and Joseph Meredith each tallied goals, while Ben Vatis stopped 30 of 33 shots to earn the win.
The Vipers will look to rebound Saturday night as their Alberta road trip continues in Sherwood Park against the Crusaders.
#TimeToStrike
