The Salmon Arm Silverbacks had a mixed weekend, tying a Friday road game against Vernon in double-overtime, followed by a home loss against the Langley Rivermen.
The ‘Backs traveled to Vernon to play the Vipers on Jan. 13. Salmon Arm has had little success against the Vernon squad this season. Going into Friday’s game they had lost five games and tied one when playing the Vipers.
Austin Adamson opened the scoring for Vernon, deflecting a shot from Michael Ulfberg past ‘Backs goalie Nic Tallarico.
Josh Latta got the equalizer for Salmon Arm before the end of the first, going top shelf on Vernon goaltender Darion Hanson from the left hashmarks.
The second period was scoreless with neither team able to get the upper hand.
Justin Wilson scored early in the third, assisted by Latta, giving Salmon Arm the lead.
Latta struck again just 10 seconds later on his way to being named the game’s first star.
In the final minutes of regulation, Jagger Williamson scored twice for Vernon, making it a one-score game, and then tying it up with six minutes to go. Both goals came on the power play.
Neither team could score to secure the “w” in either overtime period, leaving the game tied after 70 minutes.
Penalties plagued the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in their 6-3 loss against the Langley Rivermen on Jan. 14 at the Shaw Centre.
The ‘Backs were short one or more skaters for a total of 18 minutes in Saturday’s game. The visiting Rivermen served 16 penalty minutes of their own, but scored three times on the power play while not allowing Salmon Arm to score with a man advantage.
Langley nearly scored 10 minutes into the first period when Angus Crookshank made a fast break up the side that left him one on one with Trevin Kozlowski in net for the ‘Backs, but Kozlowski made the save.
The Rivermen opened the scoring late in the first frame as Sean Gulka skated in unassisted for a goal.
Late in the period, Silverback Elijiah Barriga checked Zac Masson in the Langley net, knocking it free of its moorings. Masson rose to his feet and cross-checked Barriga in the back as he skated away. Masson served a two-minute penalty into the beginning of the second period.
Early in the second, Austin Chorney served a two-minute holding penalty for pulling a move that would look more at home on the Judo mat than the ice, on Langley forward Brendan Budy behind the Silverbacks’ net.
Salmon Arm got on the scoreboard 10 minutes into the period as Jacob Kennedy scored, assisted by Trey Thomas and Max Wutzke.
The ‘Backs took the lead six minutes later as Spencer Hora received a short pass from Kozlowski before skating the puck the length of the ice only to dish a backhand pass to newcomer Trevor Ayre, who slapped the puck home for the goal.
Salmon Arm dominated the offence in the second period with two goals and 21 shots on goal compared to Langley’s seven.
The dirty tone of the game continued through the final minutes of the second as Langley’s Cooper Leitch was sent to the box for catching Ryley Booth with a high stick to the neck in front of Salmon Arm’s goal.
Just before the whistle, a scuffle at Langley’s end of the ice saw Riverman Reid Yochim and Silverback Ryan Hogg penalized for two minutes each.
Neither team was able to take advantage of the less crowded four-on-four ice at the start of the third.
After the penalties had expired, Langley’s Francis Boie was able to get a shot past Kozlowski at 4:04, with assistance from Gulka and Budy, tying the game.
Later in the period, a boarding penalty from Max Wutzke and an interference penalty following a huge open ice hit by Akito Hirose within a minute of each other, set Langley up for two powerplay goals.