Quinn Gould snapped a 2-2 tie with three minutes left in regulation time and Alex Grieve scored his second into an empty net Friday to lead the Westside Warriors past the visiting Vernon Vipers in game three of their Interior Conference semi-final.
The Warriors lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.
Marcus Basara was sent to the box for tripping in the third which gave the Warriors a late power-play.
Just eight seconds into the man advantage Kyle Singleton threw the puck in from of the net. It hit a Vernon defenceman and bounced back to Gould who slid it into a wide open net for his third of the playoffs.
“All night I was trying to screen (Vipers netminder Kirby) Halcrow and hopefully get a greasy goal,” says Gould.
“I don't know how that one ended up bouncing to me but it was kind of right place, right time and I was lucky enough to put it in. I'll take it.”
The Warriors jumped all over the Vipers early and it resulted in the game's first goal.
Tyler Brickler threw the puck at the net from the right side boards and it used Warriors luck to find its way past Halcrow just 2:42 into the contest.
The Warriors are a perfect 6-0 during the playoffs when they score the first goal.
The Vipers had a chance to equalize with a two minute five-on-three but were unable to beat Kevin Boyle who made a couple of blockbuster stops from in close.
Boyle has been the series MVP thus far being a stalwart between the pipes, unlike the goalies for Vernon.
Alex Grieve would double the lead 84 seconds into the middle frame, beating Halcrow on a breakaway while being draped by two Vernon defenders.
With the team shorthanded, Grieve took a perfect stretch pass from Kyle Singleton, broke in all alone, deked backhand then slid a forehand five-hold for a 2-0 lead.
Following the goal, former Warrior prospect Ryan Renz drilled Grieve from behind. A melee ensued resulting in 38 minutes in penalties including misconducts to Grieve and Vipers captain David Robinson.
Somehow the game momentum switched in the Vipers favor even after evident dirt business by the Snakes after the play. A familiar story for the Warriors who dealt with much of the same shenanigans in the Trail series.
Colton Sparrow was given credit for a goal which appeared to go off the skate of Warriors defenseman Matt Maher. Then Adam Thompson scored on a breakaway following a sloppy clearing pass to deadlock the game at 2-2 in the second.
The third was a fairly even period before Gould slid home the game winner late in the third.
Warriors coach Darren Yopyk credited his penalty killing group with killing off two lengthy five-on-three disadvantages.
“Boyle made the saves when he needed to, but I thought our five-on-three were great tonight,” says Yopyk.
“I can't count too many chances they really had on the five-on-threes. Any time you kill three-and-a-half minutes of five-on-three you have to give credit to your guys and when you're killing penalties your goalie is your number one killer and he made the saves he needed to.”
The Warriors finished the night with just 17 players after Shawn Hochhausen and Peter McIntosh were both ejected and Tyler French was injured.
Hochhausen is expected to receive an automatic suspension for his major penalty for a blow to the head while French's status won't be known until sometime Saturday.
“Our guys were real tired,” says Yopyk.
“When your guys are tired I told them it's not your legs that go first, or your hands, it's your head. We made a few mistakes out there, but our guys battled real hard and did a good job to gut out a win.”
The Vipers again won the shots on goal battle, outshooting Westside 40-23 despite being outshot 11-9 over the opening 20 minutes.
The Warriors were 1-6 with the man advantage while the Vipers were 0-5.
Game four in the series goes Saturday night at Royal LePage Place with game five returning to Vernon Monday.
In the other Interior Conference semi-final, Salmon Arm edged Penticton 2-1 to grad a 3-0 lead in that series.
Game Notes:
Max French will return to the line-up Saturday night at RLP.
Side Notes:
The Warriors are hosting another tailgate party in their courtyard Saturday night from 6pm-7pm before the game. Enjoy fair style food, live entertainment with The Good Guys, Q103 on hand, and BodyFit West Kelowna has some major giveaways and free shakes all night.
Fan Bus:
