After starting the season with six straight losses, the Vernon Vipers were looking to get on the right track over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Vernon played three times (Friday, Sunday and Monday) over the weekend, and won twice.
Game one, on Friday against West Kelowna, was when the Vipers offence woke up. Shea Busch scored twice, while Keagan Dunn, Georgios Stavrianeas, Lukas McKloskey and Landon MacDonald also found the back of the net, as the Vipers won, 6-3.
Game two on Sunday saw the Cowichan Valley Capitals battle the Vipers in Abbotsford, as the annual BCHL Showcase began. The Capitals quickly got on the board with two markers early in the opening frame. However, in the second and early third period, the Vipers were able to tie it, with goals from Will Schumacher and Carson McGinley.
After numerous penalty kills from both teams, the Caps were able to score the go-ahead goal from Carter Dekay with less than four minutes to play, to give Cowichan the lead for good.
Darius Bachler scored an empty-netter as the Capitals won, 4-2.
On the Monday matinee against Alberta's Blackfalds Bulldogs in Abbotsford, the Vipers made sure there would be no Thanksgiving hangover.
The back-and-forth affair saw 10 total goals scored.
Shea Busch was the man of the day, as he nabbed a hat-trick in just two periods, including a short-handed marker at the 19:08 mark of the second.
Sandwiched between Busch goals were two from the Bulldogs, as Alexander Dimitriadis and Tyler Chiovetti scored.
Leading 3-2 heading into the third, Erik Pastro would add cushion to the Vipers lead, 54 seconds in. Then, the Bulldogs would tie it up, after two Jack McAra goals four minutes apart.
Will Schumacher's unassisted tally four minutes later finally put the Vipers up for good, as Pastro's second of the night into an empty net sealed the 6-4 victory.
Colin Reay was in net against Blackfalds, as he made 11 stops for his first win of the year.
The Vipers (2-6-1-0) now are on the road for four games, beginning on Saturday, Oct. 19 in Cranbrook against the Bucks.
