The Silverbacks and Penticton Vees met for the second time this season and the second time in as many night's on Saturday at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm as the Vees took the opener of the home-and-home on Friday in Penticton. The Silverbacks gave up the first goal on Saturday night at home, as Riley Alferd opened the scoring from Gabe Bast at 15:52 and the visitors lead one-nothing after 20 minutes. The Vees out-shot the Silverbacks 11-4 in the first period.
Alferd then gave the Vees a two-nothing lead, 1:13 into the second frame, unassisted. Chase Priskie opened the scoring for the Silverbacks, on the power-play in the dying seconds of the second period when the Vees ran into penalty trouble. Goalie Hunter Miska was penalized four minutes for spearing, and on the ensuing power-play, Priskie received a pass at the blue-line from Shane Danyluk, and Priskie fired a shot through traffic for his first BCHL goal with 9.8 seconds remaining. Penticton lead 2-1 after 40 minutes. The Silverbacks out-shot the Vees 16-9 in the middle frame.
Taylor Maruya tied the game at two on the power-play, exactly three minutes into the third period. As Maruya jammed the puck in at the side of the net, unassisted. The Silverbacks then took their first lead of the game, as Taro Hirose worked the puck in along the right wing, cut toward the net and dropped the puck back for Shane Danyluk who flipped it up and over Miska. 3-2 Silverbacks at 11:33. The Vees responded though, tying game at three at 13:59 of the third and the game went into overtime. The Silverbacks out-shot the Vees 9-8 in the third, and the Backs lead 29-28 on the shot-clock through regulation time.
The teams needed double overtime to decided the winner, and the Vees Demico Hannoun was awarded a penalty shot at 2:50 as newest Silverback Damian Chrcek was penalized as he and Hannoun battled along the boards to the right of Zach Dyment in the Silverbacks zone. Hannoun skated in from centre and leaned into a wrist shot, glove side for the 4-3 victory.
The Vees out-shot the Silverbacks 3-1 in the extra periods, and finished ahead 31-30 on the shot-clock overall. Zach Dyment made 27 saves and is now 1-1. The Silverbacks finished two-for-six on the power-play, while the Vees went 0-for-three.
The Silverbacks now have three wins, two regulation losses, an overtime loss for 7 points in their first six games. The Silverbacks and Vernon Vipers are tied for third place in the Interior Division, and have a game in hand on the Vipers.
The Silverbacks are preparing for three consecutive games away from the Shaw Centre, as the Silverbacks will be in Surrey on Wednesday, October 8th before taking on the Vipers in Vernon on Friday, October 10th and versus the Centennials in Merritt on Saturday, October 11th. The next home game at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm is on Friday, October 17th as the Silverbacks host the Victoria Grizzlies at 7p.m.
