By Ryan Pinder /
For the second straight season, the Vernon Vipers have ended the Powell River Kings season in the Fred Page Cup Final, and in the process have claimed their 10th league championship.
With a 3-1 decision in front of over 3,000 fans in Vernon in the first Game 7 in the BCHL Final since 2001, the Vipers have extended their quest for a second straight national championship.
While many had predicted the return of the Vipers to the Finals, with over a dozen returning members from the 2009 RBC Cup, the Powell River Kings were one of the biggest surprises of the BCHL season. After losing their starting goalie and six 20-year-old forwards off the 2009 Coastal Conference winning squad, Kent Lewis and his staff retooled this season and forced the Vipers to a decisive seventh game, something that hasn’t happened to the Vipers since 2008.
Despite outscoring the Vipers, outclassing their opponents in the special teams battle, and holding the enemy to just 16 goals (including three empty netters) in the seven-game showdown (the Vipers averaged five goals a game in the regular season), the Kings did everything but beat the Vipers to four wins.
After splitting the opening pairs in Vernon and Powell River, the home team dominated Games 5, 6, and 7 outscoring the visitors 12-5 in the final three games.
The line of the Jones Twins [Conner and Kellen (‘90)] and Sahir Gill (‘92) were the difference makers for the Vipers, accounting for 21 points and nearly half the goal scoring for the Vipers.
After allowing four goals and getting yanked in Game 6 on the Sunshine Coast in Game 6, Graeme Gordon (‘89) settled down at home and backstopped the Vipers to their fourth win of the series and a trip to their second straight Doyle Cup.
The Kings got strong play from netminder Josh Watson (‘90) and major production from their blueline with Mat Bodie (‘90) leading all scorers in the Fred Page Cup with three goals and nine points in seven games; physically imposing Justin DaSilva (‘90) also chipped in with five points.
The Kings’ top forwards, Matt Garbowsky (‘90) and Daniel Carr (‘91), were held in check in the series combining for just five points in the series. Chad Niddery (‘90) stepped up his play with five goals and three assists in his final junior hockey action.
Despite back-to-back years with Coastal Conference titles, the Powell River franchise remains without a Fred Page Cup in their history. The Kings have lost in the BCHL final five times.
The Vipers remain the model of excellence in Junior A hockey with 10 league titles earned and an eye on earning a sixth RBC Cup come May.
The Vipers will face the AJHL Enerflex Cup Champion Spruce Grove Saints in the best-of-seven Doyle Cup.
The Spruce Grove Saints were ranked No. 1, while the Vernon Vipers were ranked No. 2 in the CJHL National Rankings for the majority of the 2009/10 season, yet only one will advance to play for an RBC Cup.
The BCHL has won 16 of the 24 Doyle Cups while the AJHL has won six of last ten Pacific entries to the National Championship, which takes place in Dauphin, Man. this season. |