Vernon, BC: The Vernon Vipers clinched a hard-fought victory Friday night, shutting out the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 4-0 at Rogers Rink.
It was a complete team effort, led by an impressive performance from Keaton Dowhaniuk, who opened the scoring late in the first period and added an assist to help lift his team to victory. Will Schumacher was key to the Vipers’ offense, contributing a trio of assists, while Marko Stojkov, Charlie Kresl, and Lukas McCloskey added goals to secure the win.
Goaltender Colin Reay was spectacular between the pipes, earning his first shutout of the season and the second of his career. Reay’s standout moment came in the second period, where he turned away all 15 shots from the Silverbacks, proving to be a difference-maker in keeping his team ahead. The Vipers’ special teams were on point as well, going 2-for-6 on the power play, with Stojkov’s goal coming right after a power play opportunity. The penalty kill was equally sharp, successfully shutting down all three Silverback power-play attempts.
Salmon Arm’s goaltender, Ryan Grout, faced 31 shots, stopping 27 in a tough outing for the Silverbacks.
With two wins in their last three road games, the Vipers improve to 3-5 on the season and will look to close out their six-game road trip on a high note. They face the Penticton Vees on Saturday night at the SOEC, with puck drop set for 6 p.m.
Photo Credit – Kristal Burgess Photography.
