The Red Deer Vipers scored three unanswered second-period goals en route to a 4-2 Heritage Junior B Hockey League win over the Three Hills Thrashers on Monday at the Arena.
Ryan Thompson, Kolton Gillett and Adam Ferguson staked the Vipers to a 3-0 lead after 40 minutes, but the visitors struck back with a pair of goals early in the third period. Lucas Ford notched a power-play goal at 1:58 and Jacob Hamel struck less than two minutes later, whipping a wrist shot through the pads of Red Deer netminder Brenden Mandrusiak.
Nick Glackin gave the home side some breathing room, closing out the scoring with 4:28 remaining with the Vipers on a power play. Glackin took two strides over the blueline and beat Thrashers goaltender Devon Dell with a wrist shot.
Mandrusiak made 31 saves as the Vipers improved to 6-0-3-2 and moved into a third-place tie with the 8-5-0-1 Thrashers in the Northern Division. Dell stopped 23 shots for Three Hills.
Red Deer was assessed nine of 16 minor penalties, with the clubs splitting four fighting majors.