The Merritt Centennials fought the Salmon Arm Silverbacks to a draw on Tuesday night, finishing the game 5-5 at the Shaw Center.
Cole Kehler made 37 saves for the Cents while Brandon Kegler got 27 for the Silverbacks. Zach Court had a game high 3 points, scoring his first goal as a Centennial and getting two assists. Nick Jermain scored a pair of power play goals, and Chase Bell and Ryan Roseboom each registered their first points as Centennials with assists.
The Centennials were expecting a physical game out of the Silverbacks and the opening period was more of a finesse one, with Mitch Lipon getting a sneaky goal from behind the net. Lipon came out from behind the net looking for a pass, but instead popped it right onto Kegler where it squeaked in. The Cents were there able to take advantage of the first powerplay of the game when Nick Jermain put a Michael Faulkner feed past Kegler from the point. The Cents owned the first half of the opening frame but the Silverbacks fought right back with a pair of their own. Chase Zieky scored his 20th of the year off the powerplay at 7:30 and Jared Turcotte got a tally from Elijah Barrigah at 14:50.
The secone period opened with a bang as Jared Turcotte tallied his 2nd of the game, another powerplay goal. Up by one, the Silverbacks wouldn’t hold the lead for long as Zach Courts first as a Cent evened the game. A crazy final fifteen seconds of the 2nd gave Merritt the two goal lead back. Nick Jermain scored his 2nd powerplay goal of the game, then off the face off Chase Bell and Ryan Roseboom set up Henry Cleghorn’s 4th ofthe year.
In the 3rd period, the Cents would continue to fight but it would be Salmon Arm with a pair of goals to even the game.
Taro Hirose netted his 10th of the year at 7:13 and Chase Zieky’s 2nd of the game would even it at 5. Cole Kehler had some of his best work late, especially in the fifth and final frame of the game.
Merritt plays next on January 27th, when they welcome the Penticton Vees during Student Night at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Puck Drop is at 7pm, pre game begins on Q101 at 6:45.
