Vernon Vipers defeat Dauphin Kings 8-1 to capture RBC Cup championship

Canadian Press - http://www.nhl.com/

DAUPHIN, Man. - The Vernon Vipers won their second consecutive RBC Cup in style.

Dylan Walchuk, Kellen Jones and Cole Ikkala scored goals in a 48-second span early in the second period as the Vipers hammered the host Dauphin Kings 8-1 in Sunday's RBC Cup final.
It's the second time Vernon has won back-to-back Canadian junior A hockey championships. The Vernon Lakers won in 1990 and 1991. No other team has performed the feat.
Vernon's sixth junior A title puts it two ahead of the Prince Albert Raiders, the only other team to win four.
Dauphin came into the game unbeaten in the tournament, including a 6-5 overtime win over the Vipers on the opening day of the tournament.
But the momentum seemed to be with Vernon, which peppered Kings netminder Joe Caligiuri with 16 shots in the opening 20 minutes. Cory Kane was the only one to score, with a snap shot past the glove of Caligiuri at 14:28.
The tournament hosts tried to tie the game early in the second period, but both Steven Shamanski and Shane Luke had point-blank shots turned away by Vernon goaltender Graeme Gordon.
Vernon then blew the game open with three quick goals. Walchuk got it started at 6:28 of the second period, beating Caligiuri off the left wing on a two-on-one.
Jones made it 3-0 at 7:07, batting a puck out of mid-air, and Ikkala pushed the lead to four at 7:16, scoring on another two-on-one, this time off the right wing.
Bryce Lamb ended Gordon's bid for his second consecutive shutout with a power-play goal midway through
the middle frame, but Patrick McGillis tapped home a Walchuk rebound to restore Vernon's four-goal lead.
With the result all but decided, the Vipers added three more in the third period. Sahir Gill made it 6-1 before Jones and Garrett Noonan rounded out the scoring with power-play goals.
The Vipers will try to become the first team ever to win three consecutive junior A championships at the 2011 RBC Cup, which will be held next May in Camrose, Alta.