Spruce Kings earn shootout victory over Vipers

PRINCE GEORGE – 65 minutes was not enough inside the RMCA, as some shootout heroics courtesy of a Simon Labelle goal and three saves from Aaron Trotter, triumphed the Prince George Spruce Kings back in the win column with a 3-2 victory over the Vernon Vipers.

It was the Vipers who started the scoring and had an excellent first period. Matt Culling had the puck on the right side with an open cage but couldn’t get much of a shot away, the puck then ended up behind the goal and then to the stick of Logan Lorenz who scored his fifth of the season. The Lorenz goal was assisted by both Culling and Jack Glen at 12:24.

After an impressive opening frame, the Spruce Kings were finally able to solve Roan Clarke in the second stanza. Simon Labelle drove to the goal on a partial break down the left side, the puck was initially stopped by Clarke, and the rebound spat to Rowan Miller at the right circle and ripped it top shelf into the open cage to tie the game at one. Miller’s ninth of the season was assisted by both Labelle and Josh Wright at 17:17.

After a great forecheck from the line of Kilian McGregor-Bennett, Kolton Cousins, and John Herrington in the third period, Cousins shot the puck from the left circle and John Herrington found the rebound in tight and roofed it over Clarke to make it 2-1 Spruce Kings. Herrington’s 10^th of the season was assisted by both his linemates in Cousins and McGregor-Bennett at 2:54.