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Tassy and Vanderkooi Lift Backs Over Cents

MERRITT, BC: Simon Tassy had a goal and two assists, and Liam Vanderkooi stopped 28/30 to help lift the Salmon Arm Silverbacks over the Merritt Centennials 4-2 on the road.

The Salmon Arm Silverbacks kicked off the second half of their season in the same place where they played game number one in Merritt. This was the third meeting of the season between the Centennials and the Silverbacks.

In the opening twenty minutes forward, Aidan Lindblad for the first Grade-A scoring chance in the first minute of the hockey game after he danced around his man but could not convert as Cents goaltender Colton Phillips-Watts was equal to the task. The Silverbacks continued to press; newly called up forward Lian Gayfer, who was making his BCHL debut tonight, got a great scoring chance at the side of the net, but the puck went right through the crease, keeping it scoreless. The Centennials had a couple of odd-man rushes late in the first period. First chance came off the stick of forward Jacksenn Hungle, and he was denied by Silverbacks goaltender Liam Vanderkooi. The second chance came after some miscommunication at the Cents blueline, causing another two on one for the Cents; Vanderkooi again was there for the Backs to keep the game 0-0. There were zero powerplays in the opening period, and the Silverbacks outshot the Centennials 14-10.

In the middle frame, the Silverbacks got some puck luck as Lucas Matta took a shot, and it went off Phillips-Watts and off a defender in front and into the net for Matta’s 7th of the campaign, giving the Backs a 1-0 lead. The Cents quickly responded with a scoring chance of their own as Connor Farren cut into the slot and let go a wrister, but Vanderkooi robbed him to keep it 1-0 Backs. The Cents got the game’s first powerplay when defenseman Lynden Hanvold got the gate for a hit to the head. As a result of the hit to the head, Hanvold was also given 10-minute misconduct, meaning the Silverbacks would be down to five defensemen. The Cents could not solve Vanderkooi on the man-advantage. However, the Silverbacks would get a powerplay of their own shortly after, and they needed just eight seconds to go to work. After a Serdachny faceoff win, Santa Juana sent the puck down low to Tassy, who then circled the net, feathering a cross-seem pass back to Santa Juana, who ripped it home to give the Silverbacks a 2-0 lead. The goal was Santa Juana’s 11th of the season. The Cents countered the 2-0 marker with a goal of their own shortly after Davide Patella beat Vanderkooi’s short side to cut the lead in half. Then moments after, while shorthanded, the Silverbacks duo went to work again. Tassy and Serdachny teamed up again for yet another shorthanded marker. Serdachny fed Tassy, and he deked around Phillips-Watts for his league-leading 5th shorthanded goal of the season and 23rd overall to give the Backs a two-goal lead. The Silverbacks outshot the Cents 12-9 in the second period.

Early in the third period, Patella got the Cents back within one when he snapped a shot under the arm of Vanderkooi for his second of the night. The goal came on the powerplay after Ladyman was assessed a 4-minute kneeing penalty. The Silverbacks responded just past the midway mark of the period when Daniel Panetta and Santa Juana raced in for a two on one, and Santa Juana fed a beautiful pass across to Panetta. He roofed it under the bar to re-establish the Backs two-goal lead. Vanderkooi was forced to be sharp late in the third period and made a nice left pad save on Cooke to preserve the lead. Vanderkooi stopped 28/30 to improve to 6-1 on the season. With the win, the Backs are the first team in the BCHL to 20 wins and hold a 20-4-1 record on the season. This weekend, the Backs will be in action as they have a home and home with the Vernon Vipers.