Salmon Arm, B.C. – The Salmon Arm Silverbacks finished off their first weekend in Alberta against the Spruce Grove Saints.
For the first time in the 2024/25 season, the Silverbacks scored in the first period. Nine minutes in, Riley Ashe gets sprung on a breakaway and makes no mistake for his first goal of the season. In the final two minutes of the opening frame. Patrick Raftery rips home his second of the season to push the lead to 2-0 heading into the second period. Before the period was over, the Silverbacks got a powerplay as Ethan Kronewitt was called for goalie interference. Salmon Arm outshot Spruce Grove 16-8 in first.
The goals kept coming for the Silverbacks in the second period. Starting off on the powerplay still, it only took 15 seconds for Roenick Jodoin to find the back of the net for his first career BCHL goal. Five minutes later, Payton Nelson forces an offensive zone turnover and snipes one home unassisted for his third of the season. In the final two minutes, Aidan Willis finds himself in front of the net and tips in his first career BCHL goal to make it a 5-0 game. Before the period ends, Riley Ashe gets called for a mandatory double minor for kneeing, sending the Saints on the powerplay to end off the second and to start the third.
The Saints are able to get on the board but the Silverbacks continue to pile on in the third period. While on the powerplay to start, Keifer Miller connects with the puck during a scramble in front to get the Saints there first goal of the game, 5-1. At the four minute mark, the Silverbacks go back on the powerplay when Gabriel Kenny gets an illegal check to the head minor. On the man advantage, Ryan Philbrick sends one on net from the blue line that gets through traffic for his second of the season, 6-1. Two minutes later, it’s Jodoin who hammers home his second of the game to continue pushing the lead for the Silverbacks, 7-1. Coming out of the BCHL media timeout, Liam Beamish has the puck at the end boards and connects with a beautiful centering feed to Caleb Mahar who scores his first career BCHL goal, 8-1. With this game all but over, the Saints are able to score one more when Oscar Wu picks the top corner through traffic from the point to make it a 8-2 game.
Ryan Grout picks up his first win of the season, stopping 36/38.
(Photo credit: Kristal Burgess)
