Photo Credit: Garrett James Photography
The Merritt Centennials have gone the distance in every game played in 2019, but no longer liking the results as the Chilliwack Chiefs scored in OT to win 4-3.
The Cents shuffled the bottom six to start the game, and it paid dividends early. Daniel Tkac caused a turnover in the blue paint of the Chiefs net and Ben Ward found the loose puck and batted it down low to beat Daniel Chenard and give the Cents the early 1-0 lead. The Cents couldn’t score on a lengthy 5-on-3 powerplay, but they ended up taking the 1-0 lead into the 1st intermission. Vincent Duplessis was perfect in the first period stopping 13 shots, while the Cents threw 19 shots on Chenard.
In the second, the Chiefs would level the score on the powerplay. After a 5-on-3 advantage, gave way to a 5-on-4 the Chiefs would score by just throwing the puck on net, and Carter Wilkie would tie the game 1-1. Frazer Dodd didn’t let the game stay tied for long, as he’d score 2 minutes later. Finding the puck in between the hash marks, he spun and fired a shot that fooled Chenard mid-blocker to give the Cents the 2-1 lead.
Early in the final period, Harrison Blaisdell danced in and was denied by Duplessis, but Matt Holmes found the rebound to tie things 2-2. Brendan Schneider would give the Cents a late lead after Nick Wicks circled the zone twice then fed Schneider in the slot and he blasted a shot top shelf over the glove of Chenard. That gave the Cents a 3-2 lead with 2:29 to go, but the Chiefs wouldn’t go away and would tie things with 38 seconds left with the net empty from a shot from Marcus Tesink from the middle with a huge crowd in front.
The Cents headed to OT for the 5th time in 2019, but wouldn’t come out on the winning end. The Cents took a PP into extra time after Tesink took a penalty with no time remaining, but Mike Van Unen took the team off the advantage with a hooking call. The Chiefs would get confused and get caught with a too many men on the ice call, but with things returning to 3-on-3 hockey Matt Holmes would throw a shot on Duplessis who’d make the save, but it would deflect off a Cents defender and in for the heart breaking loss.
The Cents picked up a point in the losing effort, and now are 3 points back of the Penticton Vees who they’ll play on Sunday night at 6PM.
ENERGY PLAYER OF THE GAME: Ben Ward 1G 0A
3RD STAR: Frazer Dodd 1G 0A
2ND STAR: Vincent Duplessis 37/41
1ST STAR: Daniel Chenard 38/51
