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Around the BCHL: Friday, Jan. 15

Despite falling behind by a seemingly insurmountable 5-1 first-period deficit, the Vernon Vipers got two quick goals from Jimmy Lambert to start the second and Odeen Tufto put together a hat trick as the Vernon Vipers scored nine unanswered to earn a wild 10-5 road win over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

Chase Zieky scored twice with Ross Heidt, Jared Turcotte and Elijiah Barriga also doing damage in the first for the ‘Backs as they raced out to a four-goal lead after 20 minutes. Undeterred, Lambert scored twice in 2:20 to begin the second for the Vipers with Darren Rizzolo, Jagger Williamson and pair from Tufto following that. Liam Finlay made it 8-5 Snakes heading to the second intermission.

Tufto finished his hat trick on the man andvantage in the third with Charley Michalowski adding the 10th tally. Vernon stuck with Brendan Barry in net and after allowing five in the first, he shut the door the rest of the way making 29 saves for the win.

Defenceman Jeremy LeClerc scored shorthanded midway into the third for the winning goal in a Powell River Kings 5-4 road win over the Surrey Eagles. Austin Kamer opened the scoring for the Kings in the first and Adam Brubacher, in his first game for Powell River, made it 2-0 just 18 seconds into the second before Jeffrey Stewart got the Eagles on the board. The Kings’ Tristan Mullin and Surrey’s Kurt Black then swapped tallies making it 3-2 Kings heading to the third. Brett Stewart tied the game for Surrey but Jonny Evans and LeClerc responded giving the visitors the cushion they’d need. Tyler Cooper had a late reply on the power play for Surrey.

Brendan Harris had a goal and three helpers while Matt Baker and Charlie Combs scored twice each for the Wenatchee Wild in a 7-2 home win over the Nanaimo Clippers. The Wild led 3-1 after 40 minutes with Kyle Stephan, Combs and Harris tallying around a Sheldon Rempal marker for Nanaimo. Rempal scored again in the third, giving him 49 on the season, but Baker would score twice, Combs got his second of the night and Dakota Raabe also tallied.

Cody Van Lierop’s goal in the second period stood up as the winner for the Victoria Grizzlies in a 4-2 road win over the Prince George Spruce Kings. Tyler Welsh put the Grizz up in the first and after PG’s Connor Logan and Chong Lee (first in the BCHL) scored to give the Spruce Kings a 2-1 edge in the middle frame, Brett Stirling tied it and Van Lierop followed with the decisive goal. Mitch Barker had an empty-netter in the third. Matthew Galajda made 27 saves for the win.

The Cowichan Valley Capitals and visiting Alberni Valley Bulldogs traded goals throughout the game and overtime decided nothing in a 3-3 draw. Cayden Kraus and Quinn Syrydiuk scored in the first for the ‘Dogs on either side of a Caps goal by Jared Domin. Corey Hoffman tied it in the second, scoring in his first game with the Caps, and Nathan Dingmann and Kade Kehoe swapped goals in the third. Storm Phaneuf stopped 39 shots for the Caps while Brody Claeys turned aside 28 for Alberni Valley.

Torrin White scored twice in the third and also added two assists as the Langley Rivermen took a 5-3 decision over the host Coquitlam Express. Langley led 2-1 after one on goals by Justin Fregona and Will Campion but Coquitlam went ahead in the middle frame on goals by Jackson Cressey and Mitch Newsome. Langley got three goals in 4:50 of the third – White’s pair plus the winner from Max Kaufman – to complete the comeback.

The Penticton Vees fired 53 shots on Merritt Centennials netminder Colten Lancaster and got two goals from Taylor Ward to earn a 6-2 road win. Mitch Lipon opened the scoring for the Cents but Ward tied it and Dante Fabbro and Scott Conway notched goals in the second to give the Vees the offence they’d need. After a Zak Bowles tally, Easton Brodzinski restored the Vees’ two-goal edge with Ward and Dixon Bowen scoring in the third. Zach Driscoll made 31 saves for the win.

Jonathan Desbiens scored twice in the opening frame on the way to a hat trick, part of a West Kelowna Warriors five-goal first, as they downed the visiting Trail Smoke Eaters 9-4. Brett Mennear, Desbiens, and Kyle Marino scored in the first before Kienan Scott got the Smokies on the board. But Desbiens scored again followed by Connor Sodergren’s tally, which proved to be the winner. After Liam Blackburn made it 6-1 in the second, Trail got a shorthanded tally from Nick Halloran and a goal from Harlan Orr but Quin Foreman responded and Desbiens completed his hat trick. Reed Gunville and Max Newton traded tallies in the final frame.