The new-look Red Deer Vipers are packing more venom than last season’s version.
“Offensively we have three to four solid lines. Last year we had two and a half,” said Vipers second-year head coach Lloyd Cox, whose club moved into first place in the North Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League with Monday’s 4-0 win over the visiting Banff Academy Bears.
The 6-1-1-0 Vipers are two points clear of the second-place Blackfalds Wranglers, who with a 5-0-1-0 slate have played two fewer games and have surrendered just nine goals.
But while the Wranglers have scored 34 times, the Vipers have connected for 52 goals, thanks in part to the addition of forwards Stephen Pietsch, Jeff Kohut, Kolton Gillett and Troy Klaus
“We have a good mix of first-year guys and veterans this season,” said Cox.
“We have three players from the midget AAA team (Red Deer Optimist Rebels) and those guys went all the way last season (capturing the Alberta and Pacific Region championships) so they know how to win.
“Then we have some good midget AA guys, plus a couple of Red Deer guys playing out of town came back and their presence really helps solidify the team.”
Gillett, who has four goals and 10 points in six games, Klaus (7-3-10) and netminder Travis Weber were members of the 2009-10 Optimist Rebels, while Kohut (6-7-13) and forward Ryan Traynor (3-2-5) suited up with the Stettler Lightning last winter.
Vipers leading scorer Stephen Pietsch (6-8-14) graduated from the midget AA Red Deer Elks, while fellow forwards Ross Cunningham and Chris Robertson, who fired his first two goals of the season in Monday’s win, also came from the AA ranks.
“Pietsch has good hands and he’s working hard. He’s on a line with Kohut and (Maverick) Blair and they’ve been playing really well together,” said Cox.
Returning forwards include Braden Corbett (4-8-12), David Foord (2-8-10), JD Morrical (5-6-11), Blair (5-3-8), Brennan Tymchyshyn (1-5-6), Patrick Amell and Ryan Blades.
Forward Drew Todd and defenceman Devon Johnson were eligible to return this year but both are attending the University of Alberta.
Lee Fraser, Jordan Koopmans, Josh Christensen and Joel Pelletier are the veteran defencemen, although Fraser appeared in just his second game of the season Monday and Koopmans is out with a broken collarbone.
Sophomore Jason Pohl is sharing goaltending duties with Weber.
“We’ve been a little rookie-infested on the back end (defence),” said Cox. “We have a new defenceman as well as a forward who we’ll be looking at this week.”
While the Wranglers boast another strong lineup and are undefeated to this point in the season, Cox is confident his crew will remain competitive with Blackfalds.
“Once the chemistry comes together and our back end is moving the puck quickly, we’re going to be real tough to beat,” said the Vipers bench boss.
gmeachem@www.reddeeradvocate.com