The Silverbacks host the West Kelowna Warriors tonight at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm at 7 pm in the first regular season meeting and it's the first game of a home-and-home set which will conclude tomorrow night in West Kelowna.
The Silverbacks come into the weekend after splitting their home games last weekend, beginning with a 7-4 victory at home over Trail on Friday and finishing with a 4-2 loss to at home to Penticton on Sunday at the Shaw Centre.
The Warriors spent last weekend on Vancouver Island where they earned five of a possible six points. West Kelowna began with a 4-3 win in Nanaimo on Friday, lost 6-5 in overtime in Cowichan Valley on Saturday, and ended with a 6-5 victory in Victoria on Sunday.
West Kelowna is 7-5-0-2 in for 16 points in 14 games, while the Silverbacks are 6-6-0-2 with 14 points in 14 games. The Warriors are 5-1-0-2 on the road to start this season, while the Backs are 3-3-0-1 at home.
Liam Blackburn leads the BCHL in scoring with 14 goals and eight assists in 14 games. Blackburn is averaging two points per game. Jason Cotton is the other Warrior in the Top 20, tied for ninth with seven goals and 11 assists in 14 games. Cotton and Blackburn are two of nine returnees to West Kelowna from last season's team which finished atop the Interior Division (35-15-3-5) with 78 points, tied for first with Penticton with 78 points.
Former Silverback Michael Roberts is no longer with the Warriors after being traded by the ‘Backs in August to make room for Shane Danyluk. The 19-year-old from Vernon had 0 points in six games this season.
Tonight will be the Silverback debut of defenseman Ryley Booth. The 18-year-old defenseman from Armstrong, BC was acquired from the Vernon Vipers on Tuesday in exchange for future considerations. The BCHL rookie has scored one goal and three assists, and has 15 penalty minutes in his first ten BCHL games. Booth had five goals and 17 assists in 46 games last season with his hometown North Okanagan Knights in the KIJHL in Junior B. Booth is one of seven Silverbacks defenseman, after 18-year-old defenseman Clive Rozdeba of Calgary, Alberta was moved to the AJHL's Grande Prairie Storm last week.
The back half of the home-and-home set goes tomorrow night (Saturday) in West Kelowna at Royal LePage Place at 7 pm.
