Facing their most important game of the year, the Merritt Centennials exploded in the 3rd period to beat the Penticton Vees 5-3 on Brian Barrett Night at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Cents goalie Cole Kehler earned his win off 27 shots while Anthony Brodeur lost only his second of the year with 21 saves.
The Merritt Centennials had their back against the wall for much of the game. Penticton, locking up first place in the Interior Division and the BCHL and with two players with 100+ points, didn’t seem to have much left to play for besides getting hot before the playoffs. In pre-game interviews, the Vees did mention that they did not want to play the Centennials in the first round of the playoffs. Tonight’s game was a very good example of why.
Merritt knew the importance of the match up, yet still Penticton managed the first chances outshooting Merritt 6-1. Penticton scored first with Tyson Jost netting his 41st goal of the year, managing to knock Cole Kehler’s water bottle off the top of his net. When Jost picked the bottle up to take a drink from it, he earned an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Centennials power play had the best chances of the 1st period for Merritt, bringing the shots to 11-8 at the end of the first.
In the 2nd, there was more attack from the Vees and more bounce back from the Cents. Merritt and Penticton each took power plays mid period, as Nick Jermain and Easton Brodzinski were sent to the sin bin before the 9 minute box. Jermains hooking call would negate a Merritt power play. Merritt wanted to amp up the pressure, however it led to a counter attack goal from the Vees. Scott Conway’s 55th of the year made the game 2-0 with three minutes left to go in the 2nd.
When protecting a lead for two periods, the Penticton Vees were 35-0 going into the 3rd period on Friday. Merritt, when trailing after two periods, has gone 4-23-1 this year.
The outlook was grim going into the 3rd, and it was made worse when Nicholas Jones scored a powerplay marker just 2:40 into the last stanza. But Merritt, already a team with a win over the Vees at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, refused to give up, as their power play game alive. Off an Easton Brodzinski roughing call, Nick Jermain broke Anthony Brodeur’s clean sheet. Nick Fiorentino shot a howitzer past Brodeur, also with the extra man, with Seamus Donnohue in the box. And off an even strength goal Nick Fidanza would complete the Nick Hat Trick and tie the game for Merritt. Merritt scored again with the extra man, a Mark O’Shaughnessy point blast. O’Shaughnessy’s 3rd of the year stood as the game winner, with Ryan Roseboom putting home a Colin Grannary feed for his 7th with only 2:29 left to go in the game.
With the win, Merritt improves to 49 points, a point behind Vernon for the final spot and a point ahead of Trail. Vernon and Trail play tomorrow, while the Merritt Centennials host the Wenatchee Wild in their 58th and final game of the year. If Merritt and Trail both win, then the Centennials would occupy the 4th playoff spot at the end of the year and play Penticton in the first round of the playoffs. Merritt is only the second team to post consecutive wins against the Vees this year, the other being Salmon Arm with 3 wins over Penticton.
Puck Drop for tomorrow’s home game against the Wenatchee Wild is at 7:30, pre game begins on Q101 at 7:15pm.
