Royals Tough on Vipers, Win 5-2

Two of the top teams in Bantam AA faced each other last Saturday in a match-up that pitted the Dollard/Versant-Ouest Vipers against the West Island Royals at Dorval Arena. In the end the Royals showed why they are the top team in the league, improving their record to 15-2-2 with a 5-2 victory.

The Vipers drew first blood when they cashed in on a power play opportunity four minutes into the game. However, the Royals answered on a power play of their own just a few minutes later and from there on they were in charge.

Employing an aggressive forechecking system, they used their speed to create turnovers in the offensive zone and converted enough opportunities that this game was never seriously in doubt. They were led by captain Dillon Fournier and assistant Paddy Walsh, who shone brightly throughout the game.

A big, burly defenseman, Fournier showed his ability in many different capacities. His strong positional play and anticipation usually placed him in the right spot at the right time, allowing him to snuff out Viper attacks time and time again. His poise with the puck made him a dangerous quarterback on the power play and he has the rare ability to control the tempo of the game, choosing to regroup his team in his own end, make a sharp outlet pass or lead the rush himself when he determined necessary. His goal, coming on a nifty drop pass from Walsh, came in the final minutes and sealed the victory for West Island.

For his part, Walsh saw lots of ice as the Royals dressed just two centers. He seemed to thrive on the extra playing time, tallying two goals to go along with the assist he collected on Fournier’s goal. His second marker, which came just 15 seconds into the second period, stretched the West Island lead to 3-1 and proved to be the game winner.

The Vipers can take some consolation in the fact that this was only the fourth time the Royals have ceded more than a single goal against in regular season play. Their stout defense and strong goaltending are the primary reasons that they’re ranked fourth amongst Bantam AA teams in the province. The Vipers are not too far behind, currently occupying the 10th spot.

West Island will wait 18 days before their next game, which will be against this same Dollard/Versant-Ouest squad. The Vipers will have two games to sharpen their skills in anticipation of this next meeting.