VERNON, B.C. (September 1, 2019) ? A two-on-one goal from Cameron Macdonald just over two minutes into extra time gave the host Vernon Vipers a 3-2 overtime win over the Brooks Bandits on Sunday afternoon, capping off the Bandits? three-game road swing through the British Columbia Hockey League.
Due to ice quality at the main rink at Vernon?s Kal Tire Place, the game was relocated to the facility?s secondary North rink, a smaller community facility that was packed nearly to capacity for the first-ever matchup between the two teams.
Vernon tallied first on a power play goal just 6:13 into the game, when a feed from the right point by Brendan Kim found Ben Sanderson at the left side of the Brooks net for a backdoor tap-in past Pierce Charleson (Aurora, ON) to make it 1-0 Vipers.
But Brooks equalized just over a minute later when Taylor Makar (Calgary, AB) wired a top shelf wrister from the right circle past Vernon starter Ross Hawryluk. Brooks then took the lead at the 16:24 mark after a Randy Hernandez (Miami, FL) shot created a net front scramble, in which Trey Thomas (Williams Lake, B.C.) found the puck at the left side of the net and flipped in a high shot, giving the Bandits a 2-1 advantage after the first.
Vernon re-tied the game in the second on Sanderson?s second of the game, a breakaway goal at the 4:00 mark.
A scoreless third period gave way to overtime, in which the Vipers? Matt Kowalski sped in along the right side on the odd-man rush and feathered a pass across to Macdonald, who one-timed it in past Charleson to notch the 3-2 final score.
The Bandits return home to the Centennial Regional Arena on Wednesday night to host the Drumheller Dragons in their final home game before their regular season home opener on the 20th. Tickets are available online at tickets.brooksbandits.ca.