The Estevan novice Vipers lacrosse team used a slow build and dominant ending to beat the Regina Stealth 6-2 in their final home game of the season at Bienfait Memorial Arena on Saturday.
Three hours after the Vipers fell 5-1 to the Regina Rock in the first game of the three-team exhibition tournament, the club came out strong against the Stealth pressuring their opponent in the offensive zone and forcing them into taking two quick penalties. However, it was the Stealth’s Treysen Perras who found the back of the net first while shorthanded by wiring a shot top corner on Vipers netminder Levi Hollingshead 6:13 into the game.
Estevan’s Logan Lang got that one back about a minute later when he potted a shot short side on a run to the net from the corner. Both teams tightened up their play defensively after that, with Lang being the only player able to light the lamp 12:19 into the second when he dangled through three defenders before firing a shot low from the side of the net that beat Stealth goalie Cole Pottle far side.
The Vipers burst out of the gate in the third period with Ryder Davidson scoring off a rush nine seconds after the opening faceoff. Davidson notched his second about a minute and a half later to make the score 4-1, which was followed by two late goals by Chase Foord and Carson Baumgartner. The Stealth’s Tristen Rapchalk scored one late on a wraparound, but that was as close as they could get.
“We wore the other team down just by physical play and moving them around inside our zone and not letting them set up properly,” said Vipers coach Tim Hollingshead. “I preached defence all year and the kids are finally picking up on it. The defence always wins games as far as I’m concerned.”
Hollingshead said the Vipers have come a long way in their first season in the Queen City Minor Box Lacrosse League culminating with a 4-3 win over the league leading Moose Jaw Mustangs last weekend and their decisive win to end their home tourney. He said this improvement starts with their defence making great strides since the beginning of the season as well as the kids passing the ball a lot more and their goaltending tandem of Hollingshead and Marcus Jumbe stepping up their game.
“I think we’ve opened a lot of eyes in Regina,” he said. “All through the season I can only think of two or three (games) that we lost by more than two goals. Usually we’re always close, 5-3 (or) 4-2, so we’ve held our own against the top teams.”
