Saturday night was a special one at the Wally Fedun Arena. Not only was it the regular season home finale for the CAJHL’s Vegreville Vipers, it was also a night to remember for one of the club’s local fan favourites. Dawson Bilyk notched a hat-trick and added an assist, bringing his season point total to an even 100 in an 8-2 win over Barrhead. The speedy winger says it meant a lot to hit the milestone in front of the Viper faithful.
Special teams played a big role in the team’s victory as the Vipers went four for four on the powerplay while also going a perfect four for four killing off penalties. Bilyk says it’s been something that they’ve definitely been working on since new head coach Thomas Tookey took over after the All-Star break.
The Vipers will close out the season on the road before they start the playoffs against either the Cold Lake Aeros or the Hinton Timberwolves.
Netminder Bence Pal readies for the face-off. Pal turned aside 34 of 36 shots in the victory.
Tanner Hampton (#8) launches a shot from the point. The blue-liner picked up a pair of assists in Saturday’s win.
Before the game, the Vipers had the chance to say thank you the billets who opened their homes to players this season. Here, David Gordan (#48) and Matej Knaze (#16) present their billet with a gift.
Dawson Bilyk (#18) celebrates one of his three goals in Saturday’s win with his teammates. With his four-point night, he becomes the second Viper this season to hit the century mark, joining Carson Pewarchuk.