Cents Game Day – Merritt at Wenatchee – Dec 18/21

Date – Saturday, December 18, 2021

Game Time – Puck drop 6:00 pm

Location – Town Toyota Center, Wenatchee WA

Broadcast –Q101 & BCHLTV

Wenatchee Wild – 7-10-4-1

Merritt Centennials – 1-19-1-0

It was teddy bear toss night in Wenatchee Friday night, and the Wild didn’t wait long to bring the teddies raining down. At the 7:30 mark, Cade Littler would tap one in back door to opening the scoring for the home side.

Special teams would again play a factor, but unlike a night ago it wasn’t a powerplay goal for Wenatchee, it was a shorty. At 13:01 Cade Stibbe went in alone shorthanded and buried past Colton Phillips-Watts.

The Cents would respond late in the frame, with Jacksenn Hungle making a neat move between his legs to feed over to Jerzy Orchard who put the biscuit high blocker side past Tyler Shea. Score 2-1 Wild after 20.

Phillips-Watts stopping 21/23 in the opening period.

The best powerplay in the BCHL would finally strike on their fourth attempt of the game, with Littler netting his second of the night to restore the two-goal lead.

The Cents would continue cutting ruts to the sin-bin but kill off another two penalties before the midway mark of the frame.

The ruts to the bin were deep in the middle stanza as by the end of the period Wenatchee had already had 9 powerplay chances.

Late in the period, Ryan Mulrenin fired on from a crazy angle beating Shea to bring the Cents back within two.

Phillips-Watts continued to be peppered in goal, stopping 47/51 through 40 minutes of play.

The Wild would add two more in the final frame to win 6-2.

Previous meetings;

The Wild have rattled off three straight wins over the Merritt Centennials and are looking for the mini 3 game sweep tonight. Merritt is 1-3 versus Wenatchee this season.

Wenatchee moved past Vernon for 7^th spot in the Interior with 19 points. The Cents are now chasing the Vipers for the final playoff spot, and enter play 15 points behind.

Blue Paint Battle;

The Cents are running with a pair of AP goalies this weekend in Colton Phillips-Watts and Brandon Weare.

Weare joins the Cents from the Revelstoke Grizzlies of the KIJHL, he allowed six goals on Thursday night.

Colton Phillips-Watts is also back with the team and suited up on Friday versus Wenatchee. PW faced an otherworldly 71 shots a night ago, turning aside 65 of them.

The Cents have only seen Tyler Shea so far this year. The Wenatchee starter is 6-4-3 with a .896 SV% and a 2.82 GAA. Backup Andy Vlaha is 1-6-1 with a .859 SV% and a 4.00 GAA.

Special Teams Comparison;

Wild – PP 32.1% (2/18) PK 82.9% (4/18)

Cents – PP 8.7% (18/18) PK 65.5% (18/18)