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Prokop Powers Vernon Past W. Kelowna 5-3

VERNON, B.C.  NOVEMBER 4th, 2017

The Vipers finished off their third game in four days with a gutsy effort against a very game West Kelowna Warrior squad. Josh Prokop scored three times and Anthony Yamnitsky turned aside 25 shots to propel the Vipers to a 5-3 win and increase their unbeaten streak to 5 games.

For the second straight game, the opposition opened the scoring as Parm Dhaliwal sniped his 4th of the year to give West Kelowna a 1-0 lead. That lead lasted just 43 seconds as the Vipers went up the ice and Josh Prokop converted on a nice 3 on 2 rush for his 4th of the year to tie the game up at 1. The Vipers got lucky as the Warriors hit a goal post and the puck kicked out to center ice spring Lambert and Sandhu on a 2 on 1. Lambert set up Sandhu for his 6th of the year to make it 2-1. The Warriors peppered the Viper goal with a ton of shots with bodies in front, but Yamnitsky was up to the challenge. The Vipers added one in the final minute as a Michael Young shot, which was thought to go in, bounced into the crease and put home by Prokop. Prokop would get credit as the Vipers would take a 3-1 lead into the dressing room.

The Vipers hard work and puck possession drew some penalties in the second period as they found themselves on the powerplay 4 times. The Warriors however, broke through shorthanded after a nice individual effort from Parm Dhaliwal from the right corner and outwaited Yamnitsky to make it 3-2 on Dhaliwals second of the game and 5th of the year. That sparked the Warriors a bit, but as momentum switched back and forth, the Vipers yet again found themselves on a powerplay and a howitzer from Michael Young in the final minute made it 4-2 after 2 on his 3rd of the season.

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The Vipers were prepared for a push back and thats exactly what they got as West Kelowna fired a lot of pucks at the Viper goal. The Warriors cut into the deficit as Stephen Kleysen scored his 4th of the year from the left circle to make it 4-3. West Kelowna continued to press, but the Vipers played a good defensive game and got some timely saves and shot blocks to put them in a good spot with 2 minutes left. The Warriors pulled Cole Demers for the extra attacker and Josh Prokop would ice his hat trick goal into the empty cage to make it 5-3 the final.

The Vipers will hit the road Tuesday night for their first of two games against the Langley Rivermen. Puck drop at 7pm from the Lodge in Langley.