Langley, BC: The Vernon Vipers enter the second game of their 3 game week tonight when they enter The Lodge to take on Brendan Budy and the Langley Rivermen.
The Vipers (13-9-1-0) enter the game following a 2-1 shootout win in Prince George on Wednesday night. Matt Kowalski scored the goal in regulation and Cam MacDonald scored the only goal in the shootout. Reilly Herbst was outstanding stopping 39 of 40 for his 9th win of the season. This is the 10th game of an 11 game road trip. It is also the 5th matchup the Vipers have had against the BCHL’s Mainland division, holding a 3-1 record. The Vipers continue to keep the goals against to a minimum as they rank 5th in the league with 61 goals against. The penalty kill was crucial to the success on Wednesday night killing off 5 minor penalties including an extended 5 on 3 chance for the Spruce Kings.
The Rivermen (10-13-0-0) have won their last two matchups, a 6-5 overtime win against Chilliwack and a 2-1 shootout win over Surrey. Langley has been spectacular after regulation posting a 4-0 record in overtimes and shootouts. The Riv are pretty consistent in goals for, against and differential sitting 11th in the league in all 3 of those categories. 19 year old Brendan Budy leads the Rivermen in all offensive categories with 33 points. In goal, 20 year old Braedon Fleming has been a workhorse. He is second in the league in minutes played. The 4 year veteran has played a whopping 133 games in his career.
Its the first of two meetings between these two teams with the return matchup happening next Saturday.
You can catch all the action starting at 6:50 with the puck drop and play by play starting at 7:15. Listen live on 107.5 Beach Radio, Vernon Matters or watch on HockeyTV
