The Vernon Vipers didn’t show any signs of rust Saturday, jumping out to a 3-0 first period lead, en route to a 4-2 win over the Penticton Vees at the SOEC.
Niko Karamanis scored twice and Jesse Lansdell and Austin Adamson also chipped in goals for the Vipers (21-13-2-3), who were playing for the first time since December 30th. Adamson, Karamanis and Lansdell all scored in the first period, as Vernon had a comfortable lead through 20-minutes, en route to their fourth straight win.
Taylor Sanheim and Jamie Armstrong scored in a losing cause for the Vees (29-8-0-1), who at one point cut the Vipers lead to 3-2. However, a late third period goal handed Penticton their second straight loss to start 2017.
Ty Taylor was very good for Vernon, as the 17-year-old stopped 37 of 39 shots, including 25 of the final 27 he faced over the final 40-minutes. Mat Robson had a bit of an off night for the Vees, allowing two goals on the first four shots he faced and stopped 22 of 26 overall.
Penticton pressured early but Taylor stood tall, including stopping Ryley Risling with a pad-save, after the Vees’ forward was sprung on a breakaway up the middle just three and a half minutes in.
It took nearly seven-minutes for Vernon to register their first shot but they made the most of it, as Lansdell got just enough of a point-shot with his stick, to redirect it through Robson’s legs at 6:45.
Vernon added to their lead right after they killed-off a Vees power-play. 13-Seconds after the Vees man-advantage expired Adamson kept the puck on a two-on-one and scored short-side on Robson at 13:38. Vernon wasn’t done there either.
After a point-shot hit a Vees’ defencemen in front of the net, Karamanis found the puck, and after a short scramble, scored from his knees at the top of the crease at 18:08; his third goal against Penticton this season.
Jared Nash tried to spark his team late, as he dropped the mitts with Vernon’s Connor Clouston inside the final half minute of the first.
Penticton started to claw their way back into the game in the middle frame. Taylor Sanheim got the Vees on their scoresheet eight-minutes in, when he quickly cashed-in on a turnover in the Vipers’ end. A clearing attempt bounced out to Sanheim in the slot and he quickly hammered a one-timer past Taylor at 8:08 for his first as a Vee; his second point in as many games.
Jamie Armstrong kicked the comeback attempt into high-gear, when he made it a one-goal game four-minutes into the third. Armstrong blasted a one-timer from the right-wing that clipped the post and beat Taylor on the glove side; his first as a Vee and in just his fifth game.
A shift later, Jonny Tychonick was an inch or two from tying the game but his wrist-shot from the blue-line clanked off the post.
Vernon put the game out of reach with a late goal during a delayed penalty coming to Penticton. The puck made its way back to the blue-line and Michael Ufberg’s point-shot glanced off of Karamanis and through Robson at 14:25, putting the Vipers back up by two with just five and half minutes left.3
Final Score: 4-2 Vipers
Shots: 39-26 Vees
Power-Plays: Vees 0-4 Vipers 0-3
Three Stars: 1) Niko Karamanis 2) Jamie Armstrong 3) Ty Taylor
Attendance: 2,959
Vees Notes: Saturday was just the second time this season the Vees have dropped back-to-back games. Vernon has won two of five meetings this season against the Vees and both wins have come at the SOEC. Saturday marked the return to the line-up for Armstrong and James Miller. Armstrong hadn’t played since November 26th after battling mono. It was Miller’s first game since December 3rd, after missing the last seven with a upper-body injury.
The Vees wrap up their four-game home stand on Wednesday, January 11th, against the West Kelowna Warriors; puck drop is 7 pm.
