Warriors Vipers rivalry growing
The Westside Warriors and the Vernon Vipers haven’t met in the BCHL playoffs since the first year the Warriors arrived on the Westside.
But if this year’s season series is any indication, a possible playoff match-up between the two teams would be a fan’s delight.
The Warriors and Vipers split a pair of games last weekend in Vernon and have one game remaining in a season series that has been tight with all but one game decided by one or two goals.
The Warriors have now beaten Vernon twice this year with one win coming in overtime, while Vernon has three wins. The two teams will close the BCHL regular season with their final meeting on Feb. 20 in Royal LePage Place.
It will take some work but if its a playoff preview, hockey fans will be the big winner.
“I think we’re two evenly matched teams,” said Warriors coach Darren Yopyk. “Hopefully we can match up against them in the playoffs.”
Key for the Warriors—and for any team for that matter—is goaltending. Warriors netminder Kevin Jebson has a BCHL-high 31 wins this season while his .919 save percentage is fifth best.
Last weekend he was dominant in allowing just one goal on 36 shots in a 3-1 win over Vernon on Saturday.
“Their goaltending was obviously really good again,” said Vernon’s Cody Ikkala. “We got 40 shots and there’s nothing you can do.”
Last year in the playoffs Jebson went down with a season ending injury against Salmon Arm. The team went down to defeat shortly thereafter losing a five game series to the Silverbacks after sweeping Trail in the first round.
It marked the second straight year the Warriors were ousted in disappointing fashion.
In 2007-08, when the team had 40 wins, the Warriors beat the Silverbacks to advance to the Interior Conference final before being swept by Penticton in four straight games.
That brings it all back to the Warriors first year in the league, when playing out of Memorial Arena, they pushed the Vipers to six games before losing and watching Vernon go all the way to the BCHL final, where they would lose to Nanaimo.
Last year Vernon won the Royal Bank Cup with many of the same players it has this year.
For the Warriors, who have 35 wins and are ranked 13th in Canada, a playoff run will be the only measure of success that counts.
“That’s a big goal for us: To go far in the playoffs,” said defenceman Brendan Ellis, one of three original Warriors.
The BCHL regular season wraps up Feb. 21.
Westside has two games this week, hosting Victoria Wednesday and Alberni Valley on Friday.
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