Wednesday night’s (Nov. 13) rematch of the 2019 B.C. Hockey League (BCHL) finals would tilt in favour of the team that got swept.
A shootout was needed to determine who’d get the extra point between the Prince George Spruce Kings and the Vernon Vipers at the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena (RMCA).
Down by one, the hosts tied the game in the final frame to force overtime, but after those five minutes solved nothing, Vernon prevailed in the shootout to hand Prince George a 2-1 loss.
The rematch 🏒 @SpruceKings meet the @VernonVipers tonight (Nov. 13) for the 1st time since they claimed the 2019 Fred Page Cup in a 4-0 sweep | #CityOfPG @GoBCHL @PGMatters pic.twitter.com/IvggjPhjzZ
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) November 14, 2019
Prince George ruled on offense for most of the evening, primarily in the first and third periods, but Vernon’s Matt Kowalski got on the board first 2:52 into the second period.
Former Cariboo Cougar Brett Fudger provided the assist and his team held on for the 1-0 lead after 40 minutes.
Needing to get something going, Preston Brodziak only needed 64 seconds into the third to pot his team-leading ninth of the season and keep the game interesting, tying it up at 1-1.
Chong Min Lee got an assist as well as Cole Leal, his first career BCHL point.
That score would rain the same through to end of regulation and overtime, needing a skills contest to decide the second point.
After Spruce Kings defenceman Nick Bochen missed the first attempt, Vipers winger Cameron MacDonald found a lane past Jett Alexander.
No more goals were scored after that as Tom Richter needed one to keep Prince George alive, but Reilly Herbst shut the door and took a bite out of the Spruce Kings’ record with a 2-1 win.
He faced 40 shots from the red, white and blue, while Alexander saw 29.
Prince George will continue their homestand on Friday (Nov. 15) and Saturday (Nov. 16) when they host Cowichan Valley and West Kelowna respectively.
Both games start at 7 p.m. from the RMCA.
HIGHLIGHTS | An intense battle with the Vernon Vipers last night. Check out the highlights from a great hockey game at the RMCA. pic.twitter.com/slukxCkV7E
— Spruce Kings (@SpruceKings) November 14, 2019
