The Silverbacks host the Penticton Vees this afternoon at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm at 3 pm as the teams meet for the third time in the 2014-15 Season and the second meeting in the Shuswap.
The Silverbacks come into the game after splitting a home-and-home set with the Trail Smoke Eaters as the ‘Backs beat the Smoke Eaters 7-4 at the Shaw Centre on Friday after losing 4-1 in Trail on Wednesday. Carl El-Mir scored his first BCHL goal, Taro Hirose potted a pair, Andrew Farny, Shane Danyluk, Bryden Marsh and Carson Bolduc all scored as well as the Silverbacks won their second consecutive home game. The ‘Backs held period leads of 3-1, and 6-2 as Zack Dyment made 30 saves for his second win of the season.
The Vees are coming off of their 12th consecutive victory last night (Saturday) at home over the Vernon Vipers. Dante Fabbro scored the only of the game on the power-play in the second period as Vernon out-shot Penticton 29-26.
The Vees lead the season series with the Silverbacks two-games-to-one after back-to-back wins earlier this month. Penticton won 5-1 versus the Backs in the South Okanagan on Friday, October 3rd when the Silverbacks also lost forward Nick Hutchison who broke his right ankle in the game. Hutchison gave the Silverbacks the early lead in the game, shorthanded before going down. The Vees tied the score at one in the first and Penticton took a 2-1 lead into the third period and added three more.
On Saturday, October 4 at Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm, the Vee’s Riley Alferd scored in the first and second periods to give the visitors a two-nothing lead before Chase Priskie got the Silverbacks on the scoreboard with his first BCHL goal on the power-play in the dying seconds of the second period when the Vees ran into penalty trouble. Taylor Maruya tied the game at two on the power-play, exactly three minutes into the third period and the Silverbacks took their first lead of the game as Shane Danyluk flipped the puck up and over starter Hunter Miska. The Vees responded though tying game at three and double overtime was needed. The Vees Demico Hannoun was awarded a penalty shot at 2:50 of the second extra period as Damian Chrcek was penalized as he and Hannoun battled along the boards in the Silverbacks zone. Hannoun then skated in from centre and leaned into a wrist shot, and fired it glove side for the 4-3 victory.
The Vees are 12-1-0-0 with 24 points in 13 games to sit atop the Interior Division, while the Silverbacks are 6-5-0-2 with 14 points in 13 games and are tied with both the Trail Smoke Eaters and West Kelowna Warriors for fourth in the Interior Division.
