Vees settle for split against rival Vipers
Vernon edges Penticton 2-1 in return game
Jesse Lansdell’s power-play goal with 8:21 to play in the game snapped a 1-1 tie and gave the Vernon Vipers a 2-1 victory over the Penticton Vees on Saturday at Kal Tire Place.
The win earned the Vipers a split of the home-and-home series with the Vees, with Penticton winning 3-0 on Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Elan Bar lev wise, with a 5-on-3 powerplay goal, gave the Vipers a 1-0 lead after one period.
Kenny Johnson tied it for the Vees with a shorthanded goal from Andre Ghantous late in the second.
Jack LaFontaine made 24 saves for the Vees, while Aidan Porter stopped 25 for the Vipers. Vernon had eight power plays in the game.
Lansdell, Vernon blueliner Jack Judson and Johnson were the three stars.
The two teams are now tied for fifth place in the Interior Division standings, with the Vees (5-4-0) holding a game in hand on the Vipers (4-4-2).
The Vees played one skater under the maximum of 18 after losing forward Drew Elser in the third period of Friday’s game. Elser was hit behind the Vees’ net by Vernon defenceman Landon Fuller and though he left under his own power, it was later revealed he suffered a broken jaw and is sidelined indefinitely.
Fuller, who got a charging penalty on the play, later knocked Vees forward Jack Barnes out of the game. Barnes suffered a broken nose but was able to play in Vernon.
The Vees play the first-place Merritt Centennials (7-5-0) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the first “Wicked Wednesday” game of the season at the SOEC, and will take on the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (5-4-1) on Friday at Shaw Centre.
The Vees close out a busy week by hosting the Island Division’s Cowichan Valley Capitals on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the SOEC.
ICE CHIPS: The Vees dealt 1999-born defenceman Devon Mussio to the Nanaimo Clippers for future considerations. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound Vancouver native played three games for the Vees this season and did not register a point. Mussio, signed as a free agent, is in his fourth BCHL season after playing the last two for the Coquitlam Express. He has one goal, 19 points and 72 penalty minutes in 116 games . . . . The Soo Thunderbirds (Northern Ontario league) are the new No. 1 team in the Canadian Junior Hockey League weekly rankings, with the previous leaders Nipawin Hawks (Saskatchewan league) dropping all the way down to No. 7. Brooks Bandits (Alberta league) surged 10 spots to No. 3. Chilliwack Chiefs are the only BCHL team ranked, as they slipped one spot to No. 18. . . . In other Interior Division results from the weekend, the Trail Smoke Eaters earned three of four points with a 3-1 win over Powell River on Friday and a 4-3 overtime loss to Alberni Valley on Saturday. That moved Trail (5-3-2-1) into sole possession of second place, one point behind Merritt and one point ahead of third-place West Kelowna Warriors (6-5-0-0), who dropped a 5-2 decision in Salmon Arm on Friday, then won 4-1 over Victoria at home on Sunday.