The Rona Midget Tier 3 Silvertips faced off against the Revelstoke Grizzlies Sunday down the Trans-Canada Highway at the Sicamous arena.
The Grizzlies opened scoring just three minutes in, but Lucas Piekarczyk got the ’Tips even at the midway point of the first, with a nice short-handed backhand on the penalty kill.
Caden DeHoog put Salmon Arm up by one a few minutes later, capping off an impressive display of puck movement.
The home team took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
The Silvertips kept the momentum up in the second, but couldn’t solve Revelstoke’s netminder until the 8:30 mark. After a slapshot from the point rang off the crossbar, Connor Kociuba pounced on the loose puck in the crease and slid it home for a 3-1 lead.
The Silvertips had a parade of players heading to the penalty box, but it did nothing to dampen their offense. Bryant Cumming went in on a breakaway and hit the twine for a short-handed marker.
Revelstoke scored late in the second to reduce the lead to two going into the break.
The third period saw chances at both ends, before captain Devon Gardner put Salmon Arm up 5-2 just past the half-way mark of the final frame.
Gardner’s goal would prove to be the game winner, as Revelstoke buried two late ones to come up just short of a comeback.
The Silvertips welcome Trail to the Sicamous arena next weekend.