Experience showed in game one of the pre-season for the Silverbacks. Playing the West Kelowna Warriors who already had one game under their belts and a number of regulars in the lineup, the visitors from Salmon Arm dropped an 8-2 decision in Royal LePage Place.
Things got off to a good start for Salmon Arm as less than two minutes into the game they would take the lead. From just outside the Warriors blue line, Aiden Jenner would poke the puck up the right wall for Hayden Dick to skate onto. Facing no one but netminder Connor Hopkins, Dick would slide the puck five hold to make it 1-0.
That’s how things would stay for the next nine minutes until West Kelowna score three goals in 2:33. First it was Matt Kowalski going five hole on a short handed break, followed up by a Parm Dhaliwal goal, capped by Tyler Pang outwaiting netminder Jordan Fairle and tucking the puck inside the left post. On the power play Salmon Arm would make things interesting with four minutes to go in the period as Trevor Adams took a one timer in the slot and went bar down to make it 4-2. The victory was short lived as third year veteran Chase Dubois would replicate the goal (although not bar down) a minute later making it 4-2 heading to the intermission.
In the second Parm Dhaliwal scored on a scramble after Fairle made a great original save on an odd man rush. After that it was identical goals for Kowalski who took the shots on a pair of two on ones to complete the hat-trick. Shots after the second were 22-17 with West Kelowna ahead 7-2.
Period three saw just one goal as the Warriors would score their second power play goal of the night. A point shot by Tyler Pang was tipped in front of the net by Lane Goodwin, the Cariboo Cougars product.
Final shots wound up 26-23 for West Kelowna with the hosts going two for four on the power play while the Silverbacks were 1 for 4.
Both teams will play again tomorrow night with the matchup shifting to the Shaw Centre. Tickets are $10 with Fire on Wheels selling pizzas by the box office prior to the game. Puckdrop is at 7pm and the game will be streamed on HockeyTV.
