It was a good start and a tough finish for the Silverbacks.
For the sixth time this season they scored the first goal of the game, but for the first time lost in regulation when doing so they lost, falling 5-2 to the Merritt Centennials.
Salmon Arm did not receive a single power play in the game while the Cents had seven power plays including two lengthy five-on-threes.
Matthew Verboon opened things up for the Silverbacks converting on a rebound for his team leading 12th goal of the season. Merritt would get 1:21 of five-on-three power play time time past the midway mark of the period, but were unable to score. When Salmon Arm had four players on the ice following the two man disadvantage, it was Verboon scoring his first short handed goal of the season. Sprung on a two-on-one with Trevor Adams, Verboon snuck a shot inside the right post for the two goal lead.
The second was not kind to Salmon Arm. They would take five penalties, and surrendered four goals including a natural hat-trick for Merritt Captain Nicholas Wicks. With Andy Stevens in the box for tripping, Frazer Dodd scored the first goal of the game for Merritt two minutes in. Less than a minute later it was Wicks coming down and picking the top right corner. He would add two more in the final five minutes of the period.
Merritt sealed the game in the third with an empty netter from Christian Sabin. The win gave the Centennials a 5-1 season series win over the Backs. Both teams won’t face each other again unless they meet in the playoffs.
FAST FACTS:
- In three games played in the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, Salmon Arm had 21 penalties called against them and nine against the Centennials.
- Injured the night before, Ethan Langenegger played for Salmon Arm and stopped 42 of the 47 shots he faced
- It was the second multi-goal game for Matthew Verboon this season. He also had a pair at the BCHL Bauer Showcase against Victoria.
