Marcus Mitchell scored on the second shot of double overtime as the Salmon Arm Silverbacks shaded the Vernon Vipers 2-1 in exhibition action Friday night at Kal Tire Place.
Defenceman Akito Hirose’s point shot in three-on-three play was stopped by Viper goalie Conor Webb, but Mitchell quickly knocked in the rebound just 56 seconds into the extra session before 600 B.C. Hockey League fans. Rookie Hudson Schandor, 16, drew the secondary assist.
Schandor, who rang up 47 points in 40 Major Midget games with the Vancouver Northwest Giants a last year, fooled Viper netminder Ty Taylor with a shot from the corner as the Silverbacks opened the scoring at 16:58 of the first period. Mitchell earned the helper.
Vernon minor hockey product Nicholas Cherkowski equalized early in the third period with a wrister from the slot past fifth-year veteran Bo Didur. Ryan Brushett and d-man Jack Judson assisted. Didur had seconds earlier made a sprawling stop off TJ Sagissor.
The Vipers outshot the Silverbacks 44-22, including a 14-5 margin in the third period. Webb, a Vernon net detective who played Junior B in Armstrong last year, took over from Taylor midway through the second and finished with eight saves.
Webb made a nice stop on Schandor in the four-on-four OT, the only scoring chance by either team. His finest save came with 4:53 to play in regulation when he rolled on his back to stone Nick Unruh in tight.
Cherkowski later enjoyed another Grade A chance after a nifty pass from the point by d-man Mitch Andres.
Roadrunner Keyvan Mohktari flashed his wheels down the left flank midway through the third period, cutting in tight and just failing to beat Didur short side. Mohktari played on a line with Jordan Sandhu and Simon Saggisor. Mohktari and Sandhu landed in Vernon in offseason deals with Victoria Grizzlies and Alberni Valley Bulldogs respectively.
Vernon had seven players with BCHL experience in the lineup, while Salmon Arm had nine, including newbie blueliner Mitch Stapley, obtained in an offseason trade with the Trail Smoke Eaters. His brother, Brett, plays for the Vipers.
Best hits of the night came from Simon Sagissor of the Vipers on Mitchell and Spencer Hora of the Silverbacks on Simon Sagissor.
The Silverbacks have 29 players remaining in camp, the Vipers 36. The same two teams meet Saturday night at the Shaw Centre in the Shuswap.
SNAKE BITES: College free agent forward Alex Kerfoot, a Coquitlam Express grad, has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche. The 23-year-old from West Vancouver was a Hobey Baker Award finalist after compiling 45 points in 36 games as captain for Harvard University Crimson last season. He was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round (No. 150) of the 2012 NHL Draft…Utica Comets signed goaltender Michael Garteig to a one-year American Hockey League contract. Garteig, 25, of Prince George, played for Penticton and Powell River in the BCHL before going to Quinnipiac Bobcats of the NCAA…