Highway 97 was not kind to the Vernon Vipers.
The B.C. Hockey League squad dropped both ends of a mammoth weekend road swing that saw the team fall 3-2 in a shootout Friday night, Nov. 12, north in Prince George, then, 24 hours later, the Snakes dropped a 5-1 decision south in West Kelowna to the Warriors.
West Kelowna jumped on the Vipers early as Tyler Cristall scored just 42 seconds into the game. A Vipers powerplay later netted some chances, but no results as Warriors goalie Johnny Derrick stood tall.
Riley Sharun added to the Warriors lead with his first of the season midway through the period. Another powerplay later and the Vipers were on the board as Reagan Milburn netted his fifth goal of the season on a low shot from the left circle making it 2-1 after 20 minutes.
Damon Jugnauth scored his first goal of the season in the opening minute after the ice clean for the home team, then scored again six minutes later to make it 4-1 Warriors.
Felix Trudeau added a powerplay goal in the third to put the game away for West Kelowna, which has won seven in a row.
Derrick finished with 38 saves while Ethan David made 24 stops for Vernon.
Both teams had long road trips Friday as the Warriors went to Wenatchee, Wash., and defeated the hometown Wild 4-3 to complete a doubleheader sweep.
Trudeau scored the game-winner for the second-straight night as his shorthanded goal at 11:29 of the second period gave the Warriors a 4-1 bulge. Tyler Cristall, with two, and Tyler Rubin also scored for West Kelowna. Justin Katz made 26 saves to get the win in net.
Cade Littler had all three goals for the Wild.
West K won 5-4 in overtime on Remembrance Day with Trudeau scoring the winner.
The Spruce Kings avenged a 4-3 mid-week loss to Vernon in the front end of a home-and-home series with the shootout win at the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.
Simon Labelle had the only goal of the penalty shots as Spruce Kings netminder Aaron Trotter stopped Vernon shooters Luke Buss, Ryan Shostak and Logan Lorenz. Trotter finished regulation time and overtime with 28 saves while Roan Clarke made 23 stops for Vernon.
Buss forced overtime with a goal midway through the third period to tie the game 2-2. Lorenz opened the scoring in the first period for Vernon.
The Vipers host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks Wednesday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. at Kal Tire Place.
The Warriors will visit Salmon Arm for a weekend doubleheader Friday and Saturday, Nov. 19 and 20, at the Shaw Centre.
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