VIPERS MARCH PAST GENERALS IN OT

VIPERS MARCH PAST GENERALS IN OT

Nick Glackin scores twice, while Matt Krusky notches the game winner in Red Deer’s 4-3 overtime victory over Cochrane.

For Immediate Release

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Red Deer, AB – On a Saturday night at the Red Deer Arena, the Red Deer Vipers welcomed the Cochrane Generals in their second and final meeting of the 2015-2016 season. The Vipers looked to Cole Sears between the pipes, while the Generals countered with Ty Robinson.

The opening half of the first period saw the teams generate very little in terms of offense as neither team was able to garner a quality scoring chance. Despite the low number of shots, the Vipers would open the scoring just after the 10 minute mark on the powerplay. From behind the Cochrane net, Matt Krusky saucered a pass to Nick Glackin in the left faceoff circle, who quickly fired it past the outstretched glove of Robinson. Glackin’s tally would hold up as the lone goal of the period as the Vipers took a 1-0 lead into the second frame.

The Generals tied the game 1-1 less than three minutes into the second period as Connor Rendell slotted home Slater Ransom’s centering pass past Sears on the powerplay. Cochrane would then take their first lead of the game prior to the halfway mark of the period as Dustin Ponath fired a slap shot past Sears from the point on a man advantage for the 2-1 advantage. The Generals tacked on another powerplay tally before the end of the period off the stick of George King as they took a 3-1 lead into the final period.

The third period started much like the first as the teams exchanged very few scoring chances. Looking for another third period comeback, the Vipers found their second goal of the night just after the halfway mark of the period. From the right side, Krusky fired a hard cross-crease pass to Glackin who quickly ripped the one-timer past Robinson from the left circle. Red Deer completed the comeback just over a minute later as Kale Lapointe rifled a shot from the right face-off dot off the right post, past the Generals’ keeper to tie the game up 3-3. The teams remained deadlocked in a 3-3 tie for the remainder of the period as overtime was needed.

In the extra frame, the Vipers had several opportunities to end the game before Krusky broke in alone on Robinson and fired a shot over the glove of the Generals’ netminder for the game winner. Vipers 4 Generals 3 OT

Red Deer outshot Cochrane 32-29.

The Vipers will now travel to Blackfalds to face the Wranglers on Tuesday, January 26^th. Red Deer’s next home game will game one week from today, Saturday, January 30^th when the Mountainview Colts came to town. Puck drop is set for 8:00 PM.

The Red Deer Vipers are proud to host the 2016 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships taking place March 31^st – April 3^rd, 2016. Head over to the Vipers website at www.reddeervipers.com for more information.