Vees, Vipers need Game 7

Vernon prevails 5-1 at home, deciding game goes Monday

For the third time in four seasons, the Penticton Vees and Vernon Vipers will play a Game 7 to decide the Interior Division championship.

Cooper Watson and Niko Karamanis scored in a 16-second span early in the second period as the Vipers beat the Vees 5-1 in front of a capacity crowd of 3,158 fans Saturday at Kal Tire Place in Vernon.

The series is now tied 3-3 and a Game 7 to decide who will play in the Fred Page Cup final will once again be played in Penticton — a 7 p.m. puck-drop on Monday at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

Vernon won Game 7 in overtime in 2014, while the Vees prevailed in 2015. The teams also met in the first round last season with the Vees winning in five games.

Steven Jandric, Jimmy Lambert and Jesse Lansdell also scored for Vernon, while one-time Vipers defenceman Mitch Meek connected for the Vees.

Darion Hanson made 37 saves for the win, while Mat Robson stopped 25 shots for the Vees.

The Vees ran into early penalty trouble and Jandric made them pay, neatly tipping home Cameron Trott’s left-wing pass on the power play at 2:15.

After a dismal first period, the Vees came out and created some quality chances early in the second.

However, Hanson stood tall and Watson made it 2-0 with his first of the playoffs at 6:40. The lanky blueliner walked in off the boards and along the goalline unmolested and managed to squeeze one past Robson on the short side.

Seconds after the ensuing faceoff, the Vees turned the puck over at the blue line and Karamanis batted a pass out of the air on a 2-on-1 break with Ryan Brushett to make it 3-0.

The Vees cut it to 3-1 with 2:11 to go in the period as Nicholas Jones and Duncan Campbell worked down low to get the puck in the slot to Meek, who beat a screened Hanson with a high shot on the glove side.

It was Penticton’s first goal in Vernon since Grant Cruikshank’s empty-netter with 12 seconds to go in Game 3 — a span of 97 minutes 59 seconds.

The Vees pushed hard to get back in it in the third but couldn’t solve Hanson.

Then, while on a power play, the Vees pulled Robson to set up a 6-on-4, but just as he got to the bench Lambert stole the puck at the Vernon blue line and drained an empty-netter at 14:19 to seal the deal.

Lansdell added insult to injury with the fifth Vernon goal with 2:01 to go.

Tempers flared late with Vernon’s Connor Clouston taking a double-minor for spearing Jones after Lansdell’s goal, then with 37 seconds left Vees forward Taylor Sanheim went toe-to-toe with towering Vipers defenceman Shane Kelly.

On the same stoppage, Vees first-line winger Chris Klack and Vernon defenceman Chris Jandric got embroiled. The ref ruled that it was a second fight, meaning both players will likely be suspended for Game 7.

The Vees will play a Game 7 for the second straight series after beating Merritt 6-2 at the SOEC in the Interior semifinal.

The winner will face the Chilliwack Chiefs in the final starting this Friday in Chilliwack.

Jake Smith scored twice as the visiting Chiefs beat the Victoria Grizzlies 3-2 on Saturday to win the Coastal Conference final 4-2.