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Vipers sweep Wranglers in HJHL opening series

Season on hold until Nov. 22
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The Red Deer Vipers are off to a perfect start in the Heritage Junior B Hockey League.

Red Deer opened the season with a pair of wins and finished off the four-game mini-series on the weekend, adding two more wins against the Sylvan Lake Wranglers.

Red Deer won 3-2 Friday in Sylvan Lake and ended the series sweep Saturday at home with another 3-2 victory.

Friday, the Wranglers jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of goals from Cole Muir. Sean McGonigal drew the Vipers even with a pair in the second frame before Eric Melynk notched the game-winner late in the third period.

Bretton Park made 38 saves to notch the win in net, while Steven Arthur stopped 18 shots in the loss.

McGonigal opened the scoring at home Saturday, before the Wranglers struck twice to open up a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Rylan Burns evened the game in second for Red Deer and Jarvis Gaume tallied the game-winner early in the final frame.

Vipers goalie Cannon Whitbread turned aside 31 shots for the win and Wranglers’ Cameron Loomis-Labrosse made 24 saves in the loss.

Red Deer will now take a league-mandated 14-day break, before playing another four-game series with the Ponoka Stampeders. That series starts on Nov. 22 in Ponoka.

The Wranglers will battle the Rocky Mountain House Rams in their second series of the year. It will get underway on Nov. 22 in Rocky Mountain House.

Rocky Mountain House won three of four games in their opening season series against the Three Hills Thrashers. Bryn Hoiland led the way with three goals and an assist in four games for Rocky Mountain House. Tristan Hoffus notched three goals while both Tyler Freeman and Kobe Karol had two goals and an assist. Devon Carroll earned two wins in net and carries a 2.50 goals against average, along with a .915 save percentage into the second series.

Ponoka, meanwhile dropped all four games in its opening series to the Stettler Lightning. The Stampeders were outscored 35-11 by the Lightning in the series. Stettler will take on the Mountainview Colts in its second series, starting on Nov. 22 in Stettler.



Byron Hackett

About the Author: Byron Hackett

Byron has been the sports reporter at the advocate since December of 2016. He likes to spend his time in cold hockey arenas accompanied by luke warm, watered down coffee.
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