UPDATE: Vipers conclude weekend with Wild win

Next up for the Vipers will be the Alberni Valley Bulldogs Jan. 11 at KTP.

Coquitlam Express wrapped up an Interior road trip with a 1-0 win over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks Sunday with Jack Watson making 45 saves for the shutout for the league-leading Express.

Vipers in battle to finish with BCHL’s best (Jan. 4)

The Vernon Vipers came up a goal short against the BC Hockey League’s top team.

Ethan O’Rourke scored with 1:50 left in the third period to lift the league-leading Coquitlam Express to a 5-4 win over the Vipers before a crowd of 2,108 at Kal Tire Place Saturday.

The goal spoiled a great effort by the Snakes who outshot the visitors 53-26, and got a two goals and one assist from the game’s first star, defenceman Landon Fuller.

JoJo Tanaka-Campbell and Dawson Holt also scored for Vernon who got high marks from their head coach Jason McKee who said it was their best offensive game “in a long time.”

“We created lots of opportunities in front of the net, the forecheck was good, we were moving and connected as five guys. The effort was there for sure. We just made four or five real key mistakes and that was the difference. They’re a team that just doesn’t make those key mistakes. We gave it to them,” McKee told the Beach Radio Post Game Show with Graham Turnbull.

The Vipers fell to 20-17-1-1, while the Express, under coach and GM Jason Fortier, now have 70 points with a record of 35-5-0-0.

The Vipers host the Wenatchee Wild Sunday at 2 p.m., also on 107.5 Beach Radio.

by Pete McIntyre

UPDATE: Vipers conclude weekend with Wild win

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