Last Game – Vernon
It was a gutsy road effort Friday night as the Vernon Vipers defeated the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 3-2 in overtime at Rogers Rink.
Dario Lass, Oliver Czaja and Dmitrii Kubantsev scored the Viper goals, with Kubantsev’s tally in overtime sealing the victory.
Lane Maarhuis was outstanding between the pipes, stopping 38 of the 40 shots he faced.
Special teams played an important role as well. Vernon went 0-for-1 on the power play but delivered when it mattered most on the penalty kill, successfully shutting down all four Salmon Arm opportunities.
Last Game – Salmon Arm
The loss extended the Silverbacks’ winless streak to nine games following the overtime defeat to the Vipers.
Koen Senft and Luke Lepper scored the Salmon Arm goals, while goaltender Daniel Dirracolo made 21 saves on 24 shots.
Despite the recent struggles in the standings, Salmon Arm continues to remain competitive in most games and sits firmly in the race for third place in the Interior Division.
By the Numbers
Vernon
Record: 14-27-7-0
Home Record: 6-13-5-0
Streak: W1
Last 10: 5-5-0-0
Power Play: 18.5% (18th BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 76.8% (11th BCHL)
Goals For: 153 (16th BCHL)
Goals Against: 195 (16th BCHL)
Goal Differential: -42 (17th BCHL)
Salmon Arm
Record: 20-23-4-2
Away Record: 11-12-2-0
Streak: L9
Last 10: 0-8-1-0
Power Play: 23.2% (12th BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 75.6% (12th BCHL)
Goals For: 139 (19th BCHL)
Goals Against: 162 (6th BCHL)
Goal Differential: -23 (15th BCHL)
Scoring Leaders
Vernon
Dmitrii Kubantsev — 14G, 34A, 48 Pts
Deagan McMillan — 20G, 18A, 38 Pts
Christian Maro — 17G, 20A, 37 Pts
Salmon Arm
Landon Mackie — 23G, 28A, 51 Pts
Luke Lepper — 9G, 29A, 38 Pts
Goaltending
Vernon
Oliver Kanat — 24 GP | 5-12-5-0 | 3.57 GAA | .889 SV%
Lane Maarhuis — 8 GP | 4-3-0-0 | 3.56 GAA | .901 SV%
Jesse Sanche — 5 GP | 0-3-0-0 | 4.46 GAA | .852 SV%
Salmon Arm
Daniel Dirracolo — 33 GP | 13-15-3-2 | 3.01 GAA | .898 SV%
Mikkel Christensen — 17 GP | 5-7-1-0 | 3.13 GAA | .893 SV%
Head-to-Head
Tonight marks the seventh and final meeting between the Vipers and Silverbacks this season and the second game of the home-and-home set.
Three of the six meetings so far have required extra time, with Vernon winning two of those contests.
Oct. 17 — Vernon 3, Salmon Arm 2 (OT) — Rogers Rink
Nov. 21 — Salmon Arm 3, Vernon 2 (OT) — Kal Tire Place
Jan. 2 — Salmon Arm 7, Vernon 5 — Kal Tire Place
Jan. 23 — Salmon Arm 3, Vernon 1 — Rogers Rink
Feb. 28 — Vernon 5, Salmon Arm 3 — Kal Tire Place
March 13 — Vernon 3, Salmon Arm 2 (OT) — Rogers Rink
What’s At Stake
Vernon
The Vipers’ playoff hopes remain alive following the big win Friday night. Vernon currently sits eight points behind the Cranbrook Bucks for the final playoff spot with two games in hand.
The Vipers are also 11 points behind Salmon Arm in the standings with one game in hand.
Salmon Arm
The Silverbacks continue to feel pressure from Cranbrook in the race for third place in the Interior Division. Salmon Arm holds a three-point lead over the Bucks and still has a game in hand.
With the regular season nearing its conclusion, every point will be important in determining playoff positioning.
What’s Next
Vernon
The Vipers will head to Alberta for the final time this season next weekend, visiting the Blackfalds Bulldogs on Friday, March 20 before traveling to Brooks for a Saturday night matchup.
Salmon Arm
The Silverbacks will play a unique home-and-home set with the Spruce Grove Saints, hosting the Saints on March 20 before heading to Spruce Grove for a Sunday afternoon game.
Broadcast Information
🕖 Puck Drop: 6:00 PM
🕡 Pregame: 5:45 PM
📻 107.5 Beach Radio
🎧 Vernon Matters (audio stream)
📺 FloHockey
#TimeToStrike
