There will be a new B.C. Hockey League champion crowned.
The Vernon Vipers guaranteed that will happen when they defeated the Wenatchee Wild 3-1 Friday night in Wenatchee, Wash., to win the best-of-seven Interior Conference championship 4-1.
Vernon will advance to the Fred Page Cup championship series against the Prince George Spruce Kings which starts next Friday at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.
The Vipers leaned on the goaltending of Aidan Porter to get them through the first period relatively unscathed, then scored three goals in the second period to take control.
Marko Reifenberger staked the Wild to a 1-0 lead 3:21 into the game and Porter made 15 saves to keep it a one-goal game. Ben Sanderson scored the game winner three seconds after a penalty to Wild forward Lucas Sowder had expired. That came 8:28 into the second period, less than five minutes after Jack Judson got the Vipers on the scoreboard.
Jagger Williamson added another even-strength goal 18:30 in to the period to cap the scoring.
Porter made 25 saves for his 12th win of the playoffs. Austin Park took the loss in goal for the Wild, making 18 saves.
The Vipers are 12-5 so far in the playoffs. They opened with a 4-1 series win over Salmon Arm, then defeated Trail 4-3 in the second round.
The Spruce Kings have lost just one of their 13 playoff games. They eliminated Coquitlam in a five-game series, then put together back-to-back sweeps against Chilliwack and Victoria to advance to the final for the second time in team history.
Last year the Kings lost the championship series to Wenatchee in a five games.
