Vernon, BC: The Vernon Vipers look to conclude a 3 game home stand with a winning record as the host the Surrey Eagles for their only visit of the regular season.
The Vipers (14-11-1-1) come into the weekend after a split with Salmon Arm and Langley last weekend. The Vipers defeated the Backs 2-1 in a shootout in front of a near sell out (2993) fans. The Snakes would fall to the Rivermen the next night 3-1 following a dynamic performance from James Porter Jr. The Vipers come into the night with the fewest number of games played on home ice in the league, this being their 10th. They are 5-4-0. The Vipers penalty kill remains a key to the Vipers success through 27 games. With just 254 total minutes in penalties and only 102 times shorthanded, Vernon is the least penalized team in the league. Throw in the fact that their PK is 3rd in the league at 89.2% and you’ve got a big story line heading into the halfway mark of the season.
The Surrey Eagles (9-15-2-3) have lost their last two games, both of which came against the BCHL’s top team, the Coquitlam Express. The Eagles have three wins in their last 10 games. 19 year old forward Holden Katzalay leads the team in offense with 16 goals and 17 assists. Thomas Scarfone has carried the load in goal for Surrey getting into 21 of the teams 31 games.
This is the second and final meeting of the season. The Vipers defeated Surrey 3-2 in a shootout on November 3rd.
You can catch all the action on 107.5 Beach Radio, Vernon Matters and HockeyTV starting at 6:45
