Vipers in drivers seat

Photo: Contributed

Luke Voltin opened the scoring and then closed it in double overtime while Danny Todosychuk made 48 saves and the Vernon Vipers defeated the Penticton Vees 4-3 to take a 3-2 series lead.

Vernon led 1-0 after one on Voltin's tally but Penticton scored three times in the second, including goals seven seconds apart by Steen Cooper and Connor Chartier to take a two-goal edge to the third period.

In the final frame, Mackenzie Bauer scored unassisted early and Riley Guenther forced it to OT with his equalizer at 17:48. Voltin's winner came at the 5:37 mark of the second overtime when his pass attempt ricocheted off a leg and into the Vees net.

Vernon became the first team in the series to win on the road.

Game six goes Saturday in Vernon.

There will be a Game 7 in the Island Finals as the Powell River Kings held serve at home with a 4-2 win over the Nanaimo Clippers.

Cole Maier opened the scoring for Nanaimo in the first but Powell River responded with a pair of goals 2:30 apart by Jeremy Leclerc and Stephen HIff to lead 2-1 after one.

Jacob Pritchard put the Kings up two midway through the second with what proved to be the game-winner. Spencer Hewson got one back for the Clips but it was the last puck to get past Brett Magnus on the night as he made 26 saves for the win.

It remained a one-goal game until the waning moments when Hiff got his second of the night, into an empty net, to seal the deal.

Game 7 goes Sunday at 7pm in Nanaimo. It's the second-straight series in which Nanaimo has gone the full seven games. The home team has won each game of this series so far.