The Vernon Vipers rode two-goal efforts from Bryce Kakoske and Cameron Brodie to a place in the 2009 RBC Cup Final on Friday afternoon, taking a commanding 5-0 lead after two periods and holding on in the third for a 6-3 victory over the Kingston Voyageurs.
Kakoske opened the scoring just 1:50 into the game, converting a Kellen Jones shot that had jounced off the endboards and back in front of the net. Just 32 second later, Brodie extended the lead with a point shot that deflected off a Voyageurs stick and over the shoulder of netminder Shawn Sirman.
Mike Collins put the Vipers ahead by three at the 8:34 mark of the first with a seeing-eye shot from the halfboards, and Vernon entered the first intermission having outshot their opponents by a margin of 17-5.
It was much of the same in the second period for the Doyle Cup champs. After seeming contented in shutting down Kingston offensively for much of the frame, Cory Kane and Brodie put the game out of reach with goals at 16:59 and 19:10 of the period.
While the Voyageurs managed just seven shots on Vernon's Andrew Hammond through 40 minutes, they broke the shutout 1:17 into the third on a tally from Justin Levac. Kakoske scored his second to shortly after to regain the five-goal cushion, while Ben Power and Jeff Blackburn closed out the scoring by pulling the Central champs back within three.
Hammond stopped 13 of the 16 pucks sent his way, while Cody Rosen relieved Sirman after two periods and stopped all but one of eight shots.
With the win, Vernon advances to Sunday's championship game, which will be broadcast live on TSN 2 at 4:30 PM. Their opponent will be determined Friday evening, when the host Victoria Grizzlies take on defending RBC Cup champions Humboldt at 7:00 PM from the Bear Mountain Arena.
