The Vernon Vipers have gone where no team has gone in the last 29 years.
Vernon won its third-straight Fred Page Cup with with a 5-4 overtime win to sweep the Powell River Kings. The feat matches the Kamloops Rockets from 1962 to 1964, the Nanaimo Clippers from 1977 to 1979 and the Penticton Knights from 1980 to 1982.
A Vipers win looked doubtful in the early going as Matt Garbowsky put the Kings up 1-0 near the seven-minute mark of the first. The visitors increased their lead in rapid fashion at the start of the second with Andrew Pettitt and Daniel Schuler scoring 46 seconds apart before the two-minute mark.
With Powell River leading by three, Vipers coach Mark Ferner called a timeout and it seemed to have the desired effect as Vernon settled down and began to take back momentum. On a power play near the five-minute mark, David Robinson scored his first of the game from Steve Weinstein and Adam Thompson.
The same trio connected on another power play at 12:11 and Kyle Murphy tied the game 3-3 just under four minutes later, with Weinstein again providing a helper. Dylan Walchuk put Vernon in front with a goal just 23 seconds after Murphy's to make it 4-3 for the home team going into the third.
Powell River's Garbowsky, who had been quiet through much of the series, played likely his best game of the four against Vernon and managed to tie the game at 15:14 after a scramble in the Vernon crease to force extra time.
In overtime, Vernon had the better chances and Kings goalie Michael Garteig was sharp to stop a rebound chance by Ryan Renz early on. Not long after that, however, a Vipers shot from the point was stopped by Michael Garteig but the rebound was gathered and swept into the net by Michael Zalewski, sending the 2,400+ crowd at Wesbild Centre and the Vipers players into celebration mode.
Though the win matches Nanaimo and Penticton's accomplishments, it's the first time a team has won three straight BCHL titles over the same opponent.
Weinstein's three helpers in the second period were more points than he had produced in the previous 15 playoff games combined where he had just two assists.
Vernon now awaits an opponent for the Doyle Cup. They'll play the winner of the Alberta Junior Hockey League finals still going on between the Spruce Grove Saints and the Camrose Kodiaks. Spruce Grove leads that series 3-1.
Game 1 of the Doyle Cup will be April 15 in Vernon.
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