Merritt, BC – November 23, 2012
The Merritt Centennials scored three times in the second period en route to a 5-3 win over the Chilliwack Chiefs in BCHL action on Friday night at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena.
Chilliwack (16-6-1-1) opened the scoring just 1:37 into the first period on a goal by Spencer Graboski. Dane Birks tied it up on the power play for Merritt (13-8-1-1) at 18:53 to bring a cascade of stuffed animals onto the ice, all of which will be donated to those less fortunate in the Nicola Valley this holiday season. Shots were 13-9 Centennials in the opening stanza.
The Cents struck quickly in the second period, notching two goals in just over a minute. First it was Dylan Chanter at 0:35 and 27 seconds later, Derek Huisman gave Merritt a 3-1 lead. Sebastien Pare scored on a power play at 7:54 to make it 4-1 Centennials. On a man advantage of their own, the Chiefs got within two at 19:12 on a goal by Luke Esposito. Merritt outshot Chilliwack 17-9 in the middle frame for a 30-18 advantage after 40 minutes.
The teams traded goals in the third period as Graboski tallied his second of the night on a power play for the Chiefs at 10:56 before Huisman sealed the game for the Centennials into an empty net at 19:01. Chilliwack outshot Merritt 13-7 in the third, but the Cents finished with a 37-31 advantage overall.
Regan Soquila had three assists in the win for the Centennials while Huisman, Pare and Silvan Harper each had single helpers.
Tyler Steel made 28 saves in goal for Merritt and Mitch Gillam stopped 32 shots between the pipes for the Chiefs.
Both teams were solid on the power play as the Centennials went 2-for-3 while Chilliwack was 2-for-4.
For further information, please contact Cents Head Coach and GM Luke Pierce at 250-378-3607 or email [email protected]
The Cents next game is Saturday, November 24 as they continue their 40th season of junior 'A' hockey at Prospera Centre in Chilliwack for the back half of a home-and-home series against the Chiefs. Game time is 7 pm. Fans can listen to the game on Q101 FM in Merritt or watch online at FastHockey.com.
Follow the Cents on Twitter at @BCHLCentennials and on Facebook.com/MerrittCentennials
Season tickets are still available for the 2012-13 season. For more information on how to get yours, call the Cents Marketing office at 250-378-3604.
The Merritt Centennials, proudly celebrating 40 seasons as the BCHL's longest continuously run franchise, are a non-profit, community owned Junior 'A' Hockey Club run by a dedicated team of investors, directors, and volunteers.
