Prince George, BC – March 20, 2012
The Merritt Centennials have advanced to the BCHL Interior Conference Finals with a 3-1 win over the Prince George Spruce Kings in Game Four of the Interior Conference Semifinal Tuesday at the Prince George Coliseum.
Merritt captain Evan Stack opened the scoring on a power play with just 1:18 remaining in the first period.
Leo Fitzgerald tied the game at one with a shorthanded effort 8:36 into the second period, but the Centennials tallied on the same man advantage 26 second later when Chad Brears scored to give Merritt a 2-1 lead. Carter Shinkaruk notched the final goal of the game for either team at 18:09 of the middle frame to put the Centennials ahead 3-1.
There was no scoring in the third period, but Merritt had to kill off three straight power plays to preserve the victory.
Stack, Brears, Regan Soquila, Brandon Bruce and Reece Willcox, on his 18th birthday, each chipped in an assist for the Cents in the win.
Lino Chimienti lowered his playoff GAA to 1.47 and improved his save percentage to .949 with 28 saves for Merritt.
Ty Swabb stopped 22 Centennials to take the loss between the pipes for Prince George.
GAME SUMMARY
The sweep of Prince George in four games marks the fourth time in franchise history the Centennials have swept a playoff series and third time they've swept a best of seven series. It's also the eleventh time in franchise history that Merritt has won a playoff series and first time since 2006.
The following is a summary of Merritt's all-time playoff series victories:
2006 – Interior Conference Quarterfinals (best of 7) – Merritt beat Trail in five games
2001 – Interior Conference Final (best of 7) – Merritt beat Penticton in four games
– Interior Conference Semifinals (best of 7) – Merritt beat Prince George in four games
2000 – Interior Conference Semifinals (best of 7) – Merritt beat Penticton in six games
1997 – First Round Mini-series (best of 3) – Merritt beat Prince George in three games
1996 – First Round Mini-series (best of 3) – Merritt beat Surrey in two games
1989 – Interior Division Semifinals (best of 7) – Merritt beat Salmon Arm in five games
1985 – Interior Division Semifinals (best of 7) – Merritt beat Vernon in seven games
1979 – Interior Division Semifinals (best of 7) – Merritt beat Kelowna in five games
1976 – BCJHL Quarterfinals (8 point series) – Merritt beat Langley 8-4
The following is a summary of Merritt's all-time playoff series sweeps:
2001 – Interior Conference Finals (best of 7) – Merritt beat Penticton in four games
– Interior Conference Semifinals (best of 7) – Merritt beat Prince George in four games
1996 – First Round Mini-series (best of 3) – Merritt beat Surrey in two games
1978 – Mowat Cup (BC Championship – best of 5) – Merritt beat Richmond in three games
Merritt now awaits the winner of the Penticton-Chilliwack series. The Interior Conference Final starts on Tuesday, March 27, but it's unknown at this point if the Cents will have home ice advantage in the series.
For further information, please contact Cents Head Coach & GM Luke Pierce at 250-378-3607.
Ticket information for the Interior Conference Final series will be released as soon as possible.
Exclusive Cents merchandise is available at both Booster Club Booths at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena during all Centennials games. Merchandise includes t-shirts, hats, hoodies, souvenirs and much more.
Select merchandise is also available outside of game hours at the Cents Marketing Office (2185 Voght Street) and at Merritt Printing (1951 Garcia Street).
Throughout the playoffs, fans are encouraged to go to MerrittCentennials.com for exclusive coverage including photo galleries, post-game coverage and more. For extensive pre-and-post-game analysis by the Cents play-by-play voice, Alex Grebenyuk, visit centscentral.blogspot.com
The Merritt Centennials, proudly celebrating 39 seasons as the BCHL's longest continuously run franchise, is a non-profit, community owned Junior 'A' Hockey Club run by a dedicated team of investors, directors, and volunteers.
Stay current with the latest team news by visiting www.merrittcentennials.com. In addition, stay connected with the Cents on Facebook (/merrittcentennials) and Twitter (@merrittcents)
