Game Day Preview: Vernon Vipers vs. Brooks Bandits

Brooks, AB:  The Vernon Vipers are hitting the road this weekend, starting with a matchup against the Brooks Bandits tonight at the Centennial Regional Arena.

Team Form:

• Vernon Vipers (10-16-5-0): The Vipers are coming off a mixed weekend, securing a 5-2 win against the West Kelowna Warriors before falling 6-4 to Sherwood Park. Over their last 10 games, the Vipers have a record of 3-6-1, and they are 2-2-1 in their last five outings.
• Brooks Bandits (23-5-0-2): The Bandits recently split a home-and-home series with Cranbrook, losing in a shootout on Friday but bouncing back with a dominant win on Saturday. In their last 10 games, Brooks holds a 5-3-0-2 record, with a 2-1-2 mark in the last five.

Key Players:

• Vernon Vipers: Will Schumacher leads the team with 10 goals and 16 assists. Talan Blanck has made an impressive start with 7 points in just 4 games, while Simon Binkley is on a scoring streak with goals in four consecutive games.
• Brooks Bandits: Nathan Free is the leading scorer for Brooks, tallying 19 goals and 21 assists. Nick Peluso follows closely with 16 goals and 20 assists.

Head-to-Head:

• This game marks the second meeting of the season between these teams and the first in Brooks. The Bandits won their previous encounter 6-3, with Caden Drury netting a hat-trick. Eight different Vipers registered points in that game.

Game Time:

• The action starts at 5:45 PM Pacific Time. Fans can catch the game live on 107.5 Beach Radio, Vernon Matters, or stream it on FloHockey.