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Vipers Game Day – Vipers Tangle With Caps

Vernon Vipers

GM & Head Coach: Jason McKee

2022-23: GP 33 – 15-14-0-4, 7th Interior Division

Home: 12-5-0-2

Away: 3-9-0-2

Goals For: 86

Goals Against: 108

Powerplay: 25 for 116 – 21.6% (6th in BCHL)

Penalty Kill: 118 of 136 – 86.8% (1st in BCHL)

Season Series:

Jan. 13 vs Cowichan Valley, 7PM

Last Game: The Vipers tallied their first win of 2023 with a convincing 6-3 win over the Merritt Centennials on Saturday night.  Lee Parks had two goals and an assist.  Isaac Tremblay also recorded a multi point game with a goal and an assist.  Roan Clarke made 26 saves on 29 shots.  The Vipers powerplay went 2 for 4.  The win put them above .500 with 15 wins.

Tonight’s Game:  The Vipers are looking to build off a weekend split.  They are 6-4 in their last 10 games.  Vernon made a pair of trades at the deadline, acquiring Walker Erickson from Merritt and moving Gavin Schmidt to Calgary.  The Vipers have struggled with the Capitals over the last 5 years holding a record of 0-4-1.  The last time the Capitals were in Vernon, they defeated the Vipers 7-2.  That year would see the Caps finish 2nd in the coastal conference before Covid cancelled the postseason.

Cowichan Valley Capitals

GM & Head Coach: Mike Vandekamp

2022-23: GP 33 – 7-23-1-2, 9th Interior Conference

Home: 6-12-1-0

Away: 1-11-0-2

Goals For: 91

Goals Against: 139

Powerplay: 14 for 101 – 13.9% (18th in BCHL)

Penalty Kill: 181 of 109 – 74.3% (18th in BCHL)

Last Game: The Capitals finished off a 3 game in 3-day swing with a 4-1 loss at home to the Wenatchee Wild on Sunday.  Cole Melady had the only goal and Lukas Renaud made 50 saves on 54 shots.  The Cowichan powerplay was 0 for 2.

Today’s Game:  Cowichan has just one win in their last 10 games.  This is the first game of a 5-game road trip that sees them in Penticton, Coquitlam and Langley and Surrey.  The Caps made a big splash at the deadline acquiring two committed players from the Brooks Bandits in exchange for Davide Patella.  Ethan DeKay and Quinn Disher are both committed to Michigan Tech.  Cole Melady currently leads the Caps in scoring with 9 goals and 12 assists.  McCoy Bidewell has been a workhorse in the Capital goal crease suiting up for 24 of the 33 games this season.

Tonight’s game will be broadcast on 107.5 Beach Radio and HockeyTV, starting with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.