Salmon Arm, B.C. – The Salmon Arm Silverbacks returned home for a special Remembrance Day game against the Vernon Vipers.
In front of a packed Shaw Centre of 1,947 screaming fans, the Silverbacks got out to a flying start. 27 seconds into the game, Ty Paisley finished off a scramble in front of the net for his sixth goal of the season. Near the end of the opening frame, Linden Burrett was sent off to the box for cross-checking, giving the Silverbacks a man advantage to end off the period. But they didn’t need the whole two minutes, as just 30 seconds later, Jacob Bonkowski fired home the rebound to score his third powerplay goal of the season, fifth total.
The second period was an even back-and-forth game throughout. To start it off, Isaac Lambert was called for an early cross-checking penalty, which the BCHL’s number one penalty kill was able to manage. At the 8:22 mark of the middle frame, Lambert made up for his earlier penalty by finding the loose puck, toe-dragging to the slot, and sniping the puck top corner to extend the lead 3-0. Matthew Gillard and Nick Mikan were given coincidental roughing penalties to end the period.
Wanting to put the game away, the Silverbacks jumped out of the gates hot in the third period and didn’t take the foot off the gas. Two minutes in, Maddux Martin would get the cross ice pass on a three-on-one opportunity and find twine with a snapshot, making it a 4-0 game. The rest of the period was filled with penalties from both teams but no more scoring. The Silverbacks out shot the Vipers in the third period, 19-4.
Eli Pulver was perfect, making 21 saves in his first shutout of the season, eighth in his BCHL career.
