Team Sites
Follow the BCHL
BCHL

Backs Host Alberni Valley Bulldogs 7 PM

The Silverbacks (19-23-1-3) are set for back-to-back home games this weekend beginning tonight versus the Alberni Valley Bulldogs (14-24-4-3) at 7pm, and Salmon Arm will host the Surrey Eagles (24-16-2-4) tomorrow (Saturday) night at 7pm.

Salmon Arm has now won four straight games, following a 5-2 victory this past Tuesday night at the Langley Rivermen (20-14-2-10).

Salmon Arm opened the scoring on the road and in the opening period, Rhett Kingston’s 21st just 2:08 into the first. The Silverbacks took two of the three penalties to finish the first frame, Julian Timba and Sol Seibel each for roughing at 19:35 leaving Langley with a 5-on-4 power-play. Salmon Arm outshot the Rivermen 11-6 in the first.

Langley took back-to-back penalties to begin the second period and the visitors capitalized on a lengthy 5-on-3 with Tanner Campbell’s ninth of the season, 2-0 Silverbacks at 4:28. Salmon Arm finished the second with back-to-back penalties, Grayson Constable for interference at 12:03 and affiliate Travis Halladay for hooking at 15:48. The Silverbacks lead 7-6 on the shot clock in the second and 19-12 overall.

The Rivermen cut the lead in half at 4:40 of the third, 2-1 Salmon Arm. Langley then took two straight penalties followed by two straight Silverbacks penalties, Trevor Adams for hooking at 11:46 and Justin Wilson for tripping at 12:18. Langley capitalized 17 seconds into the 5-on-3 man-advantage and tied the game 2-2 at 12:35. Salmon Arm restored it’s lead as Campbell got the puck to Wilson as he stepped out of the box and potted his 10th, 3-2 Silverbacks at 14:26. Nick Unruh increased the lead to 4-2 with his 10th at 18:09. And Campbell finished the scoring with his second of the game and 10th of the season into an empty net, 5-2 at 19:12.

Salmon Arm lead 15-10 on the shot clock in the third and outshot the Rivermen 34-22 total. Reid Cooper stopped 20 of 22 for his sixth win of the season, fifth as a Silverback. The Silverbacks finished 1-for-5 on the power-play and 4-for-5 on the penalty-kill on Tuesday.

Wilson now has six goals in his last five games dating back to Saturday, January 13th in Port Alberni. Salmon Arm won 7-6 at home over the Rivermen on Tuesday, October 10th at the Shaw Centre.

Joe Leahy, Riley Hayles, Hudson Schandor and Noah Wakeford each missed Tuesday’s game in Langley. Leahy was the lone scratch who made the trip after he left last Friday’s home game with an injury. Wakeford has now missed five straight games due to injury. Schandor has sat out the past three games with injury. Riley Hayles and Brandon Whistle were each in the line-up last weekend but missed Tuesday’s action due to illness.

Affiliates Brett Didyk, Ryan Denney and Travis Halladay got into the line-up in Langley. AP Jonathan Krahn played in each game last weekend, while affiliates Erik Evans and Wyatt Marlow saw action last Saturday in West Kelowna.

The Silverbacks are 6-2-1-0 in nine of their 11 games on the schedule in January, while the Bulldogs are 3-5-0-0 in the first month of 2018. Alberni Valley has won it’s last two games after a home-and-home series with the Cowichan Valley Capitals (9-31-2-4) last weekend, 7-6 in double OT at home last Friday and 4-1 in Duncan last Saturday. The Bulldogs beat Salmon Arm 5-4 on Saturday, January 13th in Port Alberni.

Home game tickets are $14, (Srs $12, Under 12 – $7). A $25 family pack includes includes 2 Adults and 2 Children’s tickets, along with 4 complimentary Silverbacks hats.

Each game is webcast PPV at hockeytv.com Road games are broadcast via voiceoftheshuswap.ca CKVS 93.7 FM and Home games are available, audio only at mixlr.com/salmon-arm-silverbacks