FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2012 – Merritt, BC
The Merritt Centennials opened their 2012 exhibition season with a 5-5 tie against the Langley Rivermen on Tuesday night at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena.
Langley jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead on goals by Austin Azurdia at 1:03, Jakob Reichert at 8:15 and Mario Puskarich at 15:28.
The Cents stormed back in the second period with three straight goals. Derek Huisman scored just 1:16 into the middle frame, then Jeff Wight made it 3-2 at 14:11 and and Danton Heinen tied the game at three with just 2:10 to go in the second.
Merritt took a 4-3 lead at 2:11 when Diego Cuglietta ripped a shot top corner before Mitch McLain got Langley even at 3:52 of the third period. Huisman scored his second goal of the game at 4:36 to give the Cents a 5-4 lead, but Derek Sutliffe tallied for the Rivermen at 15:23 to make the final 5-5 as there is no overtime in the BCHL exhibition season.
Veteran Tyler Steel played the first half of the game in goal for the Centennials, finishing with 18 saves while Jack Burgart played the final 30 minutes, making 19 saves. Conor Barrie went the distance for the Rivermen, kicking out 32 Merritt shots.
The Cents went 1-for-5 on the power play while Langley was 1-for-6 with the man advantage.
Merritt's next game is Wednesday night as the Centennials head down the Coquihalla Highway for a neutral site encounter against the Chilliwack Chiefs. Game time is 7 pm at the Hope and District Rec Centre.
SCORING SUMMARY
First Period
1. LANG Austin Azurdia (Ben Greiner) 1:03
2. LANG Jakob Reichert (Mitch McLain, Mario Puskarich) 8:15
3. LANG Mario Puskarich (Viktor Dombrovskiy, Mitch McLain) 15:28 PPG
Penalties: Valik Chichkin LANG (cross-checking) 12:55; Derek Huisman MER (roughing) 14:59; Dylan Chanter MER (unsportsmanlike conduct), Jakob Reichert LANG (roughing) 18:34
Second Period
4. MER Derek Huisman (Kevin Lohan) 1:16
5. MER Jeff Wight (Jordan Steel) 14:11
6. MER Danton Heinen (Jeff Wight, Jordan Steel) 17:50
Penalties: Jeff Wight MER (hooking) 10:46; Viktor Dombrovskiy LANG (interference) 15:19; Malik Kaila MER (cross-checking) 18:54; Kevin Lohan MER (roughing after the whistle), Mitch McLain LANG (unsportsmanlike conduct) 18:59
Third Period
7. MER Diego Cuglietta (unassisted) 2:11
8. LANG Mitch McLain (Mario Puskarich, Valik Chichkin) 3:52
9. MER Derek Huisman (Silvan Harper, Tyler Martin) 4:36
10. LANG Derek Sutliffe (Valik Chichkin) 15:23 SH
Penalties: Ben Greiner LANG (tripping) 5:17; Scott Moyer LANG (ineligible player) 9:24; Malik Kaila MER (roughing) 11:50; Tyler Martin MER (check to the head, misconduct) 12:55; Aaron Dolby LANG (high-sticking) 14:11; Jordan Steel MER (roughing), Silvan Harper MER (roughing after the whistle), Mitch McLain (roughing after the whistle) 17:16
Shots on goal: Merritt: 11-14-12-37; Langley: 13-16-13-42
Wednesday's Schedule
10 – 11:30am – Player Interviews
1 – 1:45pm – Pre-Game Skate
4 – 5:00pm – Bus to Hope
7 – 9:30pm – Exhibition Game vs. Chilliwack (in Hope)
For further information, please contact Cents Head Coach and GM Luke Pierce at 250-378-3607 or email [email protected].
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.
