Following an 8-2 loss the night before against the West Kelowna Warriors, the Salmon Arm Silverbacks were back on the ice Aug. 25 at the Shaw Centre for a rematch that ended 3-2 in overtime in favour of the Warriors.
Mason Richey of West Kelowna opened up the game halfway through the first off an assist from veteran player Chase Dubois.
The Silverbacks returned the favour late in the first with a goal by Logan Shaw, tying it up 1-1 after a pass from Johnathon Krahn allowed defenceman Akito Hirose to set up Shaw right in the crease for a quick wrist-shot that slipped past Warriors’ goalie Cole Demers.
The remainder of the first saw the Warriors killing a four-minute penalty by repeatedly firing the puck up the ice and out of their defensive zone to force the Silverbacks to regroup and attempt to take back zone advantage.
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In the scoreless second period both teams played a rough-and-tumble game with some big hits on the ice on both sides.
Both the ‘Backs and the Warriors were looking to make aggressive plays to edge out a lead in the tied game, but goaltenders Ethan Langenegger of Salmon Arm and Berk Berkeliev of West Kelowna stood like a wall in their respective nets and stopped all chances of a goal.
Richey came back to put his second point of the evening on the scoreboard a mere 30 seconds into the third period to give the Warriors back their lead — though it would be short lived.
Just over seven minutes into the third, one of the Silverbacks’ newer skaters, Matthew Verboon, saw defenceman Akito Hirose pushing up to the crease while the play was focused behind the net. Verboon made a quick pass out front and Hirose fired a shot blocker-side to even up the scoreboard once again.
The remainder of the third saw both teams stonewall each other up and down the ice, sending the game into overtime with both teams tied 2-2. This year the BCHL is trialling new overtime rules, pitting teams against each other for five minutes of three-on-three action followed by a shootout if no goals are scored.
It was a short-lived overtime period, however, as Warriors’ forward Matt Kowalski — coming off of a hat-trick the night before — fired one into the net just five seconds into overtime. Silverbacks goalie Ethan Langenegger pushed out to defend the breakaway but Kowalski got the puck around him and tapped the final goal into the exposed net.
The Silverbacks will be back on the ice at the Shaw Centre Friday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. for another exhibition game, this time against the Vernon Vipers. The ‘Backs have a bit of a grudge match ahead of them as the Vipers knocked them out of the playoffs earlier this year in a 4-0 series.
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