It wasn’t a great ending to Salmon Arm’s weekend. On their third game of a third straight triple header to team lost 7-2 to the Cowichan Valley Capitals.
A three goal first period was all Cowichan needed as they raced out of the gate scoring a trio in the first thirteen minutes. Peter Tabor fed the puck low for Dan McIntyre who swept the puck over to Cole Broadhurst for the tap in to start the scoring 3:08 into the game. Later while the two teams were playing four on four, Dimitri Mikrogiannakis drove the net taking two Silverbacks with him. He dropped a pass for Niko Esposito-Selivanov to fire home. The goal that would stand as the game winner was scored with 5:08 on the clock with Kolton Cousins scoring his fourth of the season.
In the second, Salmon Arm would get on the board with a power play goal 2:19 in. Trevor Adams passed the puck across the ice from the right side of the net, and the puck deflected in front of the net and in. The Capitals were quick to restore the three goal lead with Brady Lynn getting sprung for a breakaway. After a hat-trick against Salmon Arm earlier this season, the forward who had returned to the lineup on |Friday for the first time in a month was able to score for the 4-1 lead. Playing with eleven forwards to start the game, Salmon Arm would be reduced to nine after Noah Wakeford got hit to the head, and Hudson Schandor suffered a lower body injury.
A goal five minutes into the final period from Preston Brodziak made it 5-1 Cowichan. A late power play for Cowichan was negated by a four minute penalty to their side for slewfooting, setting up another batch of four on four hockey. Just as the Silverback player stepped out of the box though, the Capitals scored for the “shorthanded” tally. Doug Scott went post and in for the 6-1 scoreline. The Silverbacks would score their second power play goal of the game shortly after. Walking in from the right faceoff circle, Matthew Verboon took a shot that was deflected from in front of the net by Trevor Adams with 2:26 left. Just 26 seconds later Cowichan got the fans on their feet a final time as Kolton Cousins scored his second of the game to finish things at 7-2. It was a frustrating goal for Salmon Arm as Matthew Armitage as the puck was covered for a good amount of time after a big save, and the whistle should have been blown. Instead the ref did nothing, and as Armitage got up the puck in front of him was tapped in.
A West Kelowna Warriors win gave them a four point advantage on Salmon Arm for fourth in the Interior Division. The Silverbacks have now played as many games as the Vernon Vipers and are one point ahead in the standings.
KEY PERFORMER:
His league high six game assist streak ended in Cowichan Valley, but a two goal performance from Trevor Adams was very impressive. Playing with a shorthanded forward group, the smaller forward got lots of minutes, and was able to evade a number of hits the Capitals attempted to throw on him.
