Game Day Preview: Vernon Vipers vs. West Kelowna Warriors

Vernon, BC:  The Vernon Vipers are eager to snap a three-game winless streak as they hit the road to face the West Kelowna Warriors tonight in their fourth matchup of the season. Both teams have been looking for momentum as they work to climb the standings, setting the stage for a competitive showdown.

The Vipers enter the game with a 4-8-3-0 record after a frustrating 3-0 loss at home to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks last night. Despite outshooting and outplaying Salmon Arm for much of the game, they couldn’t get past goaltender Andrew Ballantyne, who racked up 44 saves for a shutout. Vipers’ goaltender Colin Reay also had a strong showing, stopping 34 of 36 shots, but the offensive support just wasn’t there.

West Kelowna holds a similar record at 4-7-2-1 and comes off a 4-1 loss to the Brooks Bandits. Jack Farrell managed to put the Warriors on the board late in the game, breaking up Johnny Hicks’ shutout bid. Like Vernon, West Kelowna has had a challenging season, with only two wins in their last 10 games, and are also on a brief winless streak.

There are several similarities between these teams, from their records to goals allowed (52 for Vernon, 54 for West Kelowna). Even their head-to-head games have been close, with the Warriors holding a slight 2-1 edge. The last meeting, however, saw Vernon take a decisive 6-3 victory on October 11th.

Tune in to catch all the action from West Kelowna at 6:45 PM on 107.5 Beach Radio, Vernon Matters, or stream on FloHockey. Can the Vipers find redemption and break their winless streak, or will the Warriors hold their ground on home ice?