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Salmon Arm Silverbacks sneak past pesky Merritt

Tucker Hartmann plays overtime hero giving Backs a big 5-4 BCHL win at home over last-place Centennials
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Tucker Hartmann scored less than two minutes into overtime Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Shaw Centre, giving the Salmon Arm Silverbacks a big 5-4 win over the pesky Merritt Centennials. (Chris Fowler/Salmon Arm Silverbacks Image)

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SALMON ARM SILVERBACKS

Tucker Hartmann scored 1:41 into overtime, giving the hometown Salmon Arm Silverbacks a 5-4 win over the Merritt Centennials Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Shaw Centre.

It was Salmon Arm’s 30th win of the season and kept them one point ahead of the Penticton Vees in the battle for top spot in the Interior Conference. The Vees beat Trail 5-4 in overtime Saturday.

Penticton visits Salmon Arm Wednesday, Feb. 16, 7 p.m., at the Shaw Centre.

Brandon Santa Juana made a fancy pass through his legs to Hartmann, and he roofed it over the glove of Merritt goalie John Hicks to give the Backs the win.

In the first period, the Silverbacks started well, directing a lot of pucks at the net. One of the best chances of the period came on a Mat Bourgault rush. He was hauled down by defenceman Tristan Allen drawing a holding penalty, but that didn’t stop Bourgault as he almost put it in from the seat of his pants, but Hicks made the save.

On that ensuing powerplay, Simon Tassy got the ‘Backs on the board, as Mike Ladyman directed it toward the goal, and it was tipped home for Tassy’s league-leading 34th of the campaign. The Silverbacks got a second man-advantage in the opening frame but could not convert.

Merritt tied the game in the second period with a weird one. Liam Davison threw a puck on goal from the left corner, and it banked in off the right skate and past Silverbacks netminder Liam Vanderkooi. It was Davidson’s first BCHL goal.

The Silverbacks answered back less than a minute later. Owen Desilets received a pass from Ethan Ullrick, and he let a shot go through traffic and made its way into the net for a 2-1 Backs lead and Desilets’ first BCHL goal.

Salmon Arm added another marker a minute later when Nathan Morin intercepted the puck at the line, and he and Bourgault ran a give and go as Morin deposited his fifth of the season past Hicks to double the lead. The Centennials cut the lead in half with seven minutes left in the frame as Mark Thurston snapped a shot high glove side past Vanderkooi. The Backs outshot the Cents 25-8 in the middle frame.

In the third period, with the home side up by a goal, they pressed to double their lead, as Hicks continued to stand tall for the Cents. Merritt tied the game just before the midway point, as Davide Patella jammed the puck in past Vanderkooi on the powerplay. Then just 21 seconds later, The Centennials took the lead as Thurston batted the puck out of the air to give them a 4-3 edge.

Down a goal with seven minutes left, the Silverbacks got a powerplay after Ryan Mulrenin went off for interference. The top unit cashed in on the powerplay after Noah Serdachny and Tassy worked hard to get the puck to the net, the puck trickled through the legs of Hicks, and the puck lay on the ice behind him. Santa Juana tapped it home to tie the game at four.

READ MORE: Salmon Arm Silverbacks score 8 goals in victory over Trail Smoke Eaters

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