Date – Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Game Time – Puck drop 7:00 pm
Location – Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, Merritt B.C.
Broadcast – Q101 & BCHLTV
Vernon Vipers – 10-14-3-3
Merritt Centennials – 2-27-1-0
The Merritt Centennials are back in action for a rare Tuesday night game versus the Vernon Vipers.
The Cents were looking for redemption on Saturday night after losing 11-0 to Penticton the night before. It didn’t start well for Merritt, as with the first shot of the game, Will Lavigne would go post and in for his first goal in the BCHL.
The Cents would respond with Jackson Krill scoring his first as a Centennial to level the score. The goal was set up by a nice rush up the ice by defenseman Tristan Allen.
Later in the first, Ryan Mulrenin and Connor Farren would work a 2-on-1 but fail to convert, as the play continued the puck would get worked back to the front of the net, with Mulrenin out-waiting Liam Vanderkooi to give Merritt the 2-1 lead.
After allowing a goal on the first shot of the game, John Hicks would go on to stop the next 16 he faced in the period.
It was a penalty-filled middle stanza with both teams cutting ruts to the sin-bin and the officials taking a single-player after every altercation in an attempt to cool things down.
On the powerplay at the 5:13 mark, Daniel Panetta scored his 14th on the year to level the score.
Just 16 seconds later, Ashton Taylor would score from a terrible angle to restore the 1 goal lead 3-2. That was all the scoring in the period, but the penalties would start to fly.
Both teams would fail to convert with the extra-man or during extended 4-on-4 time in the frame.
Hicks stopped 30/32 through 40 minutes.
Salmon Arm looked like a different team in the final 20 minutes, as they erased the Cents lead and blew the door open with four unanswered goals to win 6-3. The game would continue to be chippy down the stretch with multiple players hitting the showers early.
The Vernon Vipers enter play tonight as hot as they’ve been all season long, winners of three straight. Last time out Vernon edged Salmon Arm 4-3 in OT, following a third-period comeback. Their win streak also includes wins over Trail and Merritt.
The Vipers are led by Cameron MacDonald and Luke Buss, tied with 23 points each. Vernon is 14-3-2 versus Merritt over the past five seasons.
Previous meetings;
The Cents and Vipers have met just once so far this season with Vernon running away with a 9-1 win earlier this month. That game was Jackson Bakers’ first in the BCHL and the only game he hasn’t been pulled since joining the Cents. The lone Merritt goal came from Drew Dornan.
Blue Paint Battle;
The goaltending situation in Merritt has been fluid with Jackson Baker getting pulled in three straight games. Baker is 0-4 with a .770 SV% and an 11.66 GAA.
John Hicks has returned from injury and is now 0-5 with a .872 SV% and a 5.43 GAA.
Payton Trzaska has also now appeared in a pair of games in relief and is 0-0 with a .902 SV% and a 5.86 GAA.
Vernon has a pair of 2003 born netminders, led by Roan Clarke, 7-10-4 with a .899 SV% and 3.09 GAA. Ethan David is 3-4-2 with a .907 SV% and a 2.71 GAA in a backup role.
Special Teams Comparison;
Vipers – PP 18.6% (13/18) PK 75.2% (14/18)
Cents – PP 10.4% (18/18) PK 66.5% (18/18)
By: Michael Reeve via Q101 Merritt
