Penticton, BC: The Vipers scored two powerplay goals and Roan Clarke stopped 24 shots, but the comeback would fall a little short as they were downed 4-2 by the Penticton Vees.
The first period opened with some nice back and forth play. The Vees had a couple of early chances, but Roan Clarke was there to shut the door. The Vees opened the scoring late in the period as Fin Williams was set up by Luc Wilson to make it 1-0. In the final minute of the period, the Vees took advantage of a blocked shot as Josh Niedermayer scored his first of the season to make it 2-0 after 1.
It was a frustrating period for the Vipers in the second that didn’t see a lot of positives. Penticton increased their lead as Casey McDonald scored on a rebound making it 3-0. Midway through the period, it was Josh Niedermayer again making it 4-0. Roan Clarke again stood tall stopping 14 of 16 shots in the frame.
The Vipers used their powerplay to get back in the game as Reagan Milburn was set up for his first goal making it 4-1. A few minutes later, the Vipers cut the deficit as Ryan Shostak scored and it was 4-2 with a few minutes remaining. That was close as the Vipers would get as they ran into some late penalty trouble of their own as the final buzzer sounded.
The Vipers are next in action Friday night in Salmon Arm.
