Power-play goals from Jason Bird and Dean Allison put the Vipers ahead, and a pair of last-gasp saves from Gunnar Neilson helped preserve the lead as Vernon outgunned the SilverBacks 7-5 in pre-season play Saturday night at Kal Tire Place.
The see-saw affair saw the SilverBacks claw back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits as both Salmon Arm and Vernon showed the North Okanagan/Shuswap rivalry is alive and well heading into the 2013-14 regular season.
The Vipers got things started inside 90 seconds when a crisp cross-zone pass from Demico Hannoun found Dallas Calvin alone in the low slot. The nineteen year-old fired the puck into an open net for the first of his two goals in the game.
The game picked up in intensity, and in terms of offensive finish in period two, first when Vipers forward Logan Mick put the hosts ahead 2-0.
The SilverBacks would strike twice in quick succession to tie it, though. First, Harlan Orr put home a rebound at the 6:04 mark, then Colton Thibault tied things 1:36 later on a power-play one-timer after a hard pass from right-winger Thomas Plese.
Hannoun put the Vipers back ahead 3-2 with 7:10 remaining in the frame after racing into the SilverBacks zone down the right flank, wristing the puck into the top corner over Salmon Arm netminder Adam Clark's shoulder.
That goal was cancelled out by Plese on a 'Backs power-play shortly after, though, as the former LA Junior King put home a rebound after linemate Taylor Maruya forced goaltender Gunnar Neilson into a pair of saves.
As the scoring increased, so did the post-whistle conversations, finally boiling over nine seconds into the third period in a spirited scrap between the 'Backs Joey Colatarci and Vernon's Adam Nanji. Salmon Arm rallied after the scrap, scoring on an unbelievable individual effort from 17 year-old Taro Hirose, who deked around a Viper defenseman and the blue line and went top shelf on Neilson to give Salmon Arm its first lead of the game at 4-3.
Repeated penalties would come back to haunt the 'Backs later in the frame, though. First Mason Blacklock converted on a nifty give-and-go with Calvin to level the score, then on a second successive third-period man-advantage, the Vipers took the lead through Jason Bird, whose seeing-eye slapper found the back of the net.
Allison put the hosts ahead 6-4 1:20 later before Jordan Levesque re-directed Hirose's corner pass to bring Salmon Arm back to within one.
Neilson stood tall in the dying moments, denying a pair of SilverBacks from in tight before Calvin iced the game with an empty-netter with 5 seconds left.
Up Next: The 'Backs will wind down the pre-season with a home and home set against Penticton, beginning Friday at home (7:00, Shaw Centre).
