Vipers get early jump on Vees, win 4-2
Vernon scores on first shot; Penticton loses 2nd straight at home
It was their first game of 2017 and the Vernon Vipers were ready.
Niko Karamanis scored twice and the well-rested Vipers held on after opening up a 3-0 first-period lead to beat the Penticton Vees 4-2 in front of 2,959 fans Saturday at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton.
Jesse Lansdell and Austin Adamson also scored as the Vipers (21-13-3-2) extended their unbeaten streak to eight games and edged within 12 points of the first-place Vees in the Interior Division. Shane Kelly added two assists as Vernon won for the second time in three visits to Penticton this season.
Taylor Sanheim and Jamie Armstrong each scored their first BCHL goals for the Vees (29-8-1), who lost for the second time in a row at the SOEC.
Ty Taylor made 37 saves for the Vipers while Mat Robson stopped 22 shots for the Vees.
The Vees, coming off a stinging loss to Trail on Wednesday, carried the play early but it was the Vipers who struck on their first shot of the game at 6:45 as Lansdell’s shot glanced in off a skate in front of Robson.
On a two-on-one break, Adamson kept it and ripped a shot over
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Robson and just under the crossbar to make it 2-0 Vernon at 13:38.
Karamanis scored from a wild scramble just after a power play expired with 1:52 to go in the period, with Lansdell drawing the lone assist.
The Vees got some life as 20-year-old forward Sanheim — in his second game with Penticton — wired a quick shot from the slot at 8:08 of the second to make it 3-1.
Armstrong made it interesting four minutes into the third period as he whipped a shot past Taylor and in off the post from Nicholas Jones and Griffin Mendel.
Defenceman Jonny Tychonick nearly tied it 30 seconds later as his point shot rattled the inside of the post but stayed out.
Vernon put the game away on a delayed penalty at 14:25 as Michael Ufberg’s point blast caromed off Karamanis in the slot and between Robson’s pads to make it 4-2.
The Vees got Robson to the bench for an extra skater with 3:21 to go but couldn’t get closer. Vernon’s Cameron Trott appeared to score an empty-netter at 18:55 but the goal was waved off due to an offside.
Karamanis, Armstrong and Taylor were the three stars. The Vees lead the series over the Vipers 3-2.
The Vees close out a four-game homestand Wednesday at 7 p.m. against the West Kelowna Warriors, who beat Merritt Centennials 4-1 Friday at Royal LePage Place and were in Merritt late Saturday. Vernon also plays Wednesday, in Prince George.