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Silverbacks Hold On For Crazy 8-5 Victory Over Wenatchee

Wenatchee, WA — The Salmon Arm Silverbacks won a wild one in Wenatchee on Friday night, defeating the Wild by a score of 8-5.

The clubs combined to score six power play goals (three each).

The Backs remain in first place in the BCHL with a 14-3-1 record, while the Wild drop to 9-6-2.

GAME SUMMARY

The Wild controlled the first 12 minutes of the game, opening the scoring just 2:38 in after captain Brian Adams took a pass from Tyler Young and beat Ethan Langenegger right from the slot to the blocker side. Langenegger would then come up with some big stops to keep the game at 1-0. At the first period media timeout, the shots favoured the home side 10-2.

Silverbacks forward Nick Unruh evened the score at the 13:21 mark of the first, after roofing a loose puck past Noah Altman. Just 1:01 after the game was tied 1-1, Nick Martino hopped on a turnover and ripped a puck top corner short side to give the Backs a 2-1 advantage.

Just 18 seconds later, Logan Shaw buried his first of the season off a well-placed one-timer from the slot. Salmon Arm winger Daniel Rybarik added to the damage just 35 seconds later, expertly backhanding a puck over the glove of Altman after racing down the right side on his off-wing.

That would do it for the first period, as the Backs entered the first intermission up 4-1, but trailing in shots on goal 13-9.

As crazy as the first period was, it had nothing on the second, where the clubs combined for seven goals, five of which came on their respective power plays.

First off, however, was a shorthanded goal from Coalson Wolford off an odd-man rush with William Poirier, scored just 2:08 into the period. Poirier took a shot while coming down the right wing and Wolford potted home the rebound to give the Backs a 5-1 lead. Just a couple minutes later, Salmon Arm found themselves down two men after consecutive penalty calls just 45 seconds apart. On the ensuing 5-on-3 power play, Wild forward Luke Ormsby walked out from the goal line and converted to make it 5-2. Just five seconds later, Hunter Hastings cut the lead to 5-3, after using his speed to get a breakaway off the ensuing face-off.

Several minutes later, the Wild drew another penalty and made the Backs pay yet again, this time thanks to a between-the-legs goal from Nick Cafarelli. Just three minutes later, the Silverbacks responded on a power play of their own, after Dom Garozzo snapped a one-timer perfectly top shelf to make it 6-4.

Hunter Sansbury would give Salmon Arm more insurance with 2:42 to go in the second, after his point shot beat Altman through a layered screen on the power play.

The Wild would respond with 42 seconds to go in the frame, as Brett Chorske got the Wild back to within two goals heading into the intermission.

Despite the flurry of goals in the first and second, there was only one goal scored in the final frame, and that belonged to Rybarik, who notched his second of the game off a deflection in front on a power play at the 16:29 mark.

That was all the insurance the Silverbacks needed, who would go on to win 8-5.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES

Coalson Wolford, Salmon Arm Silverbacks: Wolford made the game 5-1 early in the second period with a shorthanded marker and also tallied an assist on Sansbury’s power play goal. He has proven to be a true 200-foot player, getting plenty of time on both the PK and the PP.

Daniel Rybarik, Salmon Arm SilverbacksRybarik just always finds a way to score big goals and tonight was no different. Even though he didn’t get the game-winner tonight — something we’re used to saying — he did make the game 4-1 in the first and then secure it at 8-5 late in the third.

Dom Garozzo, Salmon Arm Silverbacks:  Garozzo’s one-time rocket on the power play that beat Altman in the second period held up as the game-winning-goal. He also had several other chances that were created — surprise, surprise — with his speed. His first multi-goal game isn’t far off.

For the full boxscore, click here.

STAT OF THE GAME

Each Power Play Strikes Three Times: The Backs ended the evening at 3-for-6 on the power play, while the Wild went 3-for-8. Wenatchee was 3-for-4 after two periods, but the Backs penalty kill showed up for the third, going 4-for-4.

There wasn’t much 5-on-5 plays in this one, with a total of 20 minor penalties handed out.

POST-GAME QUOTE

“The second period was a little wild…Some of the penalties were all over the place. It was just a really weird game and we’re going to have to be so much better than we were tonight, tomorrow night.” — Assistant coach Tanner Cochrane

WHAT’S NEXT

The Silverbacks face off against the Wenatchee Wild tomorrow night, once again at 7:05 p.m.

The game can be heard on 91.5 EZ Rock with the pre-game show starting at 6:35 p.m., while fans can also stream the game on HockeyTV.