Announcement
The Community Savings Vipers were a loose bunch, on Saturday morning at Red Deer’s Kin City Arenas. The coaches had a game plan; every player knew what they had to do and were anxious to get it done in their second pre-season game of the year. Standing between the Viper’s and their first victory of the season were Westward Parts, also losers of their first pre-season game of the year. Both teams wanted to head into the first regular season game of the year next week with a win under their belts.
The first two periods were a see-saw battle with both teams having great scoring chances denied by the netminders. Viper’s Goaltender Will Gummow stood on his head and shutout the opposition for his half of the game. Not till the 3 minute mark of the third period did the red light get lit up and unfortunately it was in the Viper’s end. The goal seemed to light a fire under Westward Part’s, it was only the brilliant play of Viper’s twineminder Nolan McGregor that kept the game from being a complete blow out. Westward Part’s were able to score two more goals and led the contest 3-0 half way through the third period. The Viper’s special teams were on fire over that stretch as they killed off a 5 on 3 power play and two 5 on 4 powerplays.
It was a penalty by Westward Part’s that started the Vipers comeback with 6 minutes left in the third period. Carson Stuve and Hammer Burton started the show, when Carson fired the puck from the top of the face-off circle and Hammer Burton crashing the net tipped the shot in. With one minute and thirty seconds left in the game Jordan Haraldson blasted a point shot on net and Cody Miner gobbled up the rebound and banged home his first goal of the year to get the Viper’s within one. A spectacular save by goalie Nolan Macgregor on a breakaway by a Westward Part’s defenceman led to a rush up the ice by Austin Price who was able to score with 31 seconds left in the game. Red Deer media have been referring to the scorching hot last 6 minutes of the game as “The Comeback”, and even though the game ended in a tie it felt more like a win. Stay tuned next week same time same place when the same two teams face each other again in the first regular season tilt of the year.
