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Battered ‘Backs soldier on

With six of their top eight forwards injured the Silverbacks fought an uphill battle this weekend
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Trevor Adams tries to flick a shot over the pad of Powell River goalie Matteo Paler-Chow on Sunday, Nov. 5 at the Shaw Centre.-image credit: Jim Elliot/Salmon Arm Observer

The badly-battered Salmon Arm Silverbacks lost both a road-game in Vernon and in front of the home crowd against Powell River over the weekend.

With six of the team’s top eight forwards in the stands and the lineup bolstered by associated players called up from lesser leagues the Silverbacks still battled hard in both games.

Head Coach Scott Atkinson says, injuries and all, he believes the ‘Backs were the better team in five of six periods over the weekend.

Justin Wilson, Tanner Campbell and Julian Timba were off the ice with concussion symptoms and Hudson Schandor was out with whiplash.

Marcus Mitchell suffered a hurt wrist and Josh Latta was been battling an ankle injury.

The Silverbacks had the lead at the end of the first period against Vernon, but a pair of goals in the second followed by three more in the third proved too much for the Silverbacks to come back from.

The final score was 6-3 Vipers.

“No doubt in Vernon we were in a very good spot and kind of let that slip and gave up three short handed goals,” Atkinson said

“That can’t happen and that makes life difficult.”

On Nov. 5 the Silverbacks faced the Powell River Kings at home.

After a scoreless first 19 minutes of play, a bad bounce off a Silverbacks’ defenceman found the back of the home team’s net.

Less than 30 seconds later, a King’s player found some open ice and slipped another shot past Kyle Dumba in net for the ‘Backs.

The Silverbacks tried to make up for the two quick goals for the rest of the game. Rhett Kingston scored in the second frame but a pair of empty-net goals at the end of the game wrapped up a 4-1 victory for Powell River.

“We felt we played two very good teams this weekend very short staffed and actually were in the game for significant portions of the game,” Atkinson said.

Schandor, Timba and Campbell are back in the lineup as the Silverbacks hit the road to face West Kelowna on Wednesday, Nov. 8.


@SalmonArm
sports@saobserver.net

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Jim Elliot

About the Author: Jim Elliot

I’m a B.C. transplant here in Whitehorse at The News telling stories about the Yukon's people, environment, and culture.
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