MULTIMEDIA

Once again, the fact that the Waxer lineup was back to full strength after suffering through a terrible spell of injuries, was very much evident.

The first period saw few good scoring chances by either club, but it would be the Waxers that would capitalize and take the 1-0 lead. Kevin Cribari fed Kevin Tompkins with a short pass into the middle just beyond the Viper blueline and Tompkins went right to the net and after a couple of rebound shots were kept out Jesse Boucher finally chipped it home, his 31st goal of the year.

Later in the first period Dan Leclair may have made the save of the game when he got his pad out just in time to thwart an excellent scoring chance from the Viper attacker at the edge of the crease, that was the Vipers sole good scoring chance of the frame.

The Vipers tied the score in the second period and held the edge in play, due in large part to the fact that the Waxers were shorthanded for much of the time.

In the third period the Vipers scored twice, five minutes apart, to take a seemingly comfortable 3-1 advantage. However, as Waxer observers have noted, this is a very special club and while the night had not gone well on the scoreboard for them, they kept on working.

That hard work started to pay off when Steve Nobili deflected Mark Mitchell's point shot past the Viper keeper to reduce the deficit to 3-2. The goal a powerplay effort was the turning point in the contest. Less than a minute later Derek Doucette scored the equalizer, Nobili picking up the assist after a mad scramble around the Viper cage.

With the clock showing regulation time winding down, Tompkins delivered the game winner from Cribari and Boucher with just 85 seconds showing on the clock.

The win gives the Waxers five points in their past three games and with every game as a re-united unit after the injury woes the club continues to gain confidence and mesh together.

The two hardest hits of the night came courtesy of the Captain, Tompkins who was in an especially charitable mood sent his mighty frame into Vipers on several occasions, delivering crushing but clean checks each time.

The younger "Duce", Derek Doucette, played his finest game in the blue and white, he was all over the ice yet he was able to pick his spots smartly to not get trapped in the offensive zone on a counter-attack.

Also good news for the blue and white was the performance of Nobili, he was Mr. Everything. He was out killing penalties, taking important faceoffs, on the powerplay. Besides his two point night, he made a huge block on a point shot late in the second period as the Vipers were pressing in the dying seconds while on a powerplay.

Not much time for Markham to relish the win, Sunday night they travel to Scarborough to take on the first place Wexford Raiders, a key game to be sure but they all are from here on out. 

G A M E   S T A T I S T I C S

No.

 G

A

PTS

PIM

PPG

SHG

GWG

TOTALS