The Westside Warriors look like a tired hockey team Saturday.
The visiting Vernon Vipers took advantage of their speed, especially in transition in a 5-2 victory over the Warriors before more than 1,300 fans at Royal LePage Place.
The best of seven series is now deadlocked at two games apiece with two of the final three set for Wesbild Centre in Vernon.
The Vipers built up a 3-0 lead by the midway mark of the second period and every time the Warriors cut the deficit Vernon was able to respond, never allowing Westside to climb any closer.
“Honestly we were running out of gas a little bit but I thought we had some real good spurts at times,” says Warriors head coach Darren Yopyk.
“We had a chance to get back in the hockey game and gave up a power-play goal late and that kind of ruined any chance of us coming back. I thought the guys competed hard and now it's a best of three.”
Colton Sparrow, Aaron Hadley and Patrick McGillis all scored to give the Vipers a 3-0 lead. Quinn Gould banged home a rebound on a Warriors power-play to cut the deficit to two before Malcolm Lyles wired home a shot from the right point to increase the lead to three entering the final period.
Matt Maher converted on a power-play eight minutes into the third to give the Warriors renewed life, however, former Warrior Bryce Kakoske dashed any hopes of a comeback three minutes later on a Vipers power-play.
The Warriors had some chances over the first 40 minutes.
Brett McKinnon had a wide open net in the opening period while Gould and Tyler French had similar chances during a second period power-play but were unable to convert.
For the fourth straight game the Vipers held a wide margin in shots on goal. Vernon outshot Westside 35-22 on Saturday.
Yopyk says the key was the Vipers ability to roll four lines throughout the game.
“They were rolling four lines and we were playing with 10 forwards so it makes it a little hard. Every time we get hit we get a suspension so it makes it hard on our guys. We just have to keep going, keep competing and we'll be ready to go on Monday.”
Centre Shawn Hochhausen was missing from the line-up Saturday, sitting out the first of a two game suspension for a hit to the head in Friday's third game.
Hochhausen will be available to return to the line-up for game six Tuesday.
The series resumes with game five in Vernon Monday before returning back to Royal LePage Place for game six Tuesday.
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