Sports

Riley Hunt’s first BCHL goal gave the Vipers an early lead which they translated into a 4-1 win over Merritt on Friday.

The Vipers fashioned their fourth straight win on home ice largely due to goals by former linemates, Darren Nowick, Mike Zalewski, and John Knisley.

Photo: Contributed - Roger Tepper

Vernon's Riley Hunt scored his first career BHCL goal against Merritt Friday night.

Nowick, who had missed the previous 10 games with an upper body injury, also collected an assist. He continued a trend of Viper players scoring in their first game returning from injury.

Turner Lawson and John Knisley had accomplished the same feat on the home stand that concluded with this game.

After Evan Stack had tied the game with a power play goal at 7:04 of the second period, Nowick went to work.

He stole the puck deep in the Merritt zone and spotted John Knisley free in the right faceoff circle.  Knisley’s one-timed snap shot beat Tyler Steel on the glove side at 14:51.

Then, with 1.5 seconds remaining in the period Mike Zalewski scored a beauty.

Zalewski received Adam Tambellini’s pass at the Merritt blue line, stick handled around two defenders, swerved left and shot against the grain to beat Steel high glove side.

Darren Nowick finished the scoring when he raced behind the Merritt net and swept in a wraparound backhand at 3:51 of the third period. Nowick admitted that he “felt a little rusty at the beginning of the game, but [he] felt more comfortable before the first period was over.”

The Vipers will travel to Chilliwack on Saturday for a fourth place showdown between two teams with identical records of 25-20-1-2.