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SilverBacks bring their A game

Pair of wins: Coach Troy Mick praises effective power play and defence going on the attack.
SASB #18 Jack Berezan Celebrates coming off the ice after the backs victory.
Wins: (Top) Jack Berezan celebrates as he leaves the ice after the ’Backs victory over Merritt.

With as many as five affiliate players in the lineup this past weekend, Salmon Arm SilverBacks head coach Troy Mick wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.

What he got was outstanding performances from the young additions and two important wins on home ice with a 4-2 triumph Saturday over Penticton and a 5-2 victory Sunday over Merritt.

Max Becker, moved to the top line, scored on a penalty shot 5:32 into the first period against the Centennials and the ’Backs never trailed. Alex Jewell earned first star after scoring two goals in the second period, including the game-winner.

Affiliates Paul Biegel, Brady Crabtree, Logan Mostat, Rory Neary and Aiden Silzer-Hooker all saw action and acquitted themselves well.

“We brought in some good AP players (affiliates),” said Mick. “I though all of them were good. Neary got his first BCHL point, we had local in Mostat and Biegel from the (Junior B) North Okanagan Knights played well on the back end.”

Top goalscorer Alex Gillies has been summoned to the Team Canada West selection camp in advance of the 2013 World Junior A Challenge so lines were adjusted a bit but rather than suffer, the team’s performance was as sound as at any point this season.

“This weekend was probably our most complete weekend of the year,” said Mick. “Against Penticton, they’re a very complete hockey team year in year out but that was probably our best 60 minutes, start to finish.”

Power-play goals from Thomas Plese in the first and Evan Anderson in the second gave them a 2-1 edge after 40 minutes, with defenceman Mark Whitely providing the winner in the third and the final tally from Landon Smith. Mitch Ferguson, another blueliner and recent commit to the University of Vermont, assisted on both man-advantage goals. That production highlights two positives for the club – power-play effectiveness and offence from the defencemen.

“If there’s one thing we want to continue to work on, it’s the power play,” said Mick. “It’s nice to go 2-for-3 on the power play; we’re just keeping it simple. You can’t score if you don’t get pucks on net and I think we were trying to be a bit too cute before.”

With the graduation of Shane Hanna and Brayden Sherbinin last season, Mick is pleased with the current defence corps’ ability to chip in on the attack.

“We challenged Ferguson to take on that role and he’s shown it,” said Mick. “He’s now at that go-to level. Blake Box as our captain has come a long way in that too, Brendan Kennedy, Andrew Farny has been better than advertised and a nice surprise is 1996-born Cole McCaskill from Kamloops. He’s been really good… getting lots of ice time and being rewarded.”

Mick is also pleased his charges rewarded the fans at Shaw Centre as well.

“We’re at the top (of the Interior Division) in scoring goals; we’ve got to be better at not letting them in, but we want to be entertaining,” said Mick. “We want to get more fans in the rink and I think we’re generating more excitement. We believe in this community.”

Salmon Arm visits Vernon Friday at 7 p.m. and hosts Victoria Saturday, also a 7 p.m. start.