The Salmon Arm Silverback’s recently acquired taste for wins carried into at least one of last weekend’s home games at Shaw Centre.
Following their two BCHL Showcase wins in Chilliwack, the ’Back’s were back on home ice Friday, Sept. 29, to send the Coquitlam Express packing after a 5-2 win.
Grayson Constable lit up the board early in the first period with a marker off Marcus Mitchell and Spencer Hora. Despite an aggressive forward effort by Salmon Arm, the Express potted an equalizer near the halfway mark on netminder Nic Tallarico. But the ’Backs got in the last word of the frame with a goal by Noah Wakeford, assisted by Nick Unruh and Logan Mostat.
The ’Backs didn’t lose any steam in the second period. Unfortunately, neither did the Express defenders or goalie Clay Stevenson. Still, Trevor Adams was able to blast an early unassisted marker past the lot for a 3-1 lead. The Express’ found an opportunity at 10:58 to respond, and the score remained at 3-2 until the buzzer.
Coquitlam got the third frame started with a confidence-boosting marker at 1:48. But the Express had to work hard to keep up with the ’Backs, who continued to outshoot their guests.
A goal by Mostat at 3:57 put the tally at 4-3. The night’s final goal was a last-minute marker by Rhett Kingston off Tanner Campbell.
If the trio of wins left the ’Backs feeling a little big for their hockey pants, the Trail Smoke Eaters provided some humility with a 6-4 win on Saturday, Sept. 30.
The ’Backs started strong in the shooting department, but this evening, the guests would get on the board first with an unassisted marker at 3:57. Minutes later, the Smokies potted a second on the man-advantage. Mostat put the ’Backs on the board with a power-play marker at 11:08, assisted by Tanner Campbell and Riley Hayles. Each team added singles before the buzzer, with Hudson Schandor potting an unassisted goal.
Salmon Arm’s second and third goals came early in the second and third periods, the first by Trevor Adams off Ryan Hogg, and the second by Kingston off Wakeford and Schandor.
Schandor was named the game’s second star, while Bo Didur stopped 19 of 25 shots on net.