Centennials take three out of four points at home over the weekend

It was the weekend of firsts for the Merritt Centennials as they kicked off a brief three game home stand.

The Centennials were able to come away taking three out of the possible four points.

Friday December 9, Merritt Centennials VS Trail Smoke Eaters

The first period was a back and forth game with the only action throughout the period being penalties on both side of the ice until the final five minutes. At the 13:10 mark of the opening frame, the Merritt Centennials were caught with too many men on the ice, causing a powerplay opportunity for the Trail Smoke Eaters. With 22 seconds left in the man advantage, Mathieu Cobetto-Roy was able to find the back of the net for a powerplay goal. Final after the first, 1-0.

During the second period, there was two penalties a side in a tight contest. Throughout the frame for the Cents, Jaxson Murray took a high-stick and Walker Erickson was called for an off-setting coincidental roughing penalty. On the same play, Ethan Warrener for the Smokies was sent to the box for a roughing as well and later in the period, Josh Schenk was slapped with a hooking call. Final after the second, 1-0.

The referees got another easy, free-flowing period in the third. Evan Bushy took a trip in the first three minutes of the period, answered by an Erik Sollied call halfway through the period. With time becoming the enemy for the Cents, they received a game-tying goal by an unlikely source. Jacob Smith deflected a puck from the point to score his first career BCHL goal and tie this game up 1-1 with five minutes left. Final after the third, 1-1.

Five minutes of 3-on-3 overtime was needed in this game, but that did not settle anything. Both goalies, Johnny Hicks and Teagan Kendrick, made huge saves for their teams extending the game to a shootout. Final after OT, 1-1.

Centennials shot first in the shootout but were unable to cash in with their first shooter Ryan Spinale. Answering back the other way was Josh Schenk, first shooter for Trail, and he was able to put it by Hicks to apply some pressure. After the second shooter on both teams missed, it came down to Murray to keep the game alive for the Centennials and he slid the puck past the right pad of Kendrick, keeping the hopes alive for the meantime. Ethan Mann was sent out as the third shooter, with the chance to end the game with a goal, but Hicks stood tall and made the save to keep the shootout, and the game, alive. Four rounds went by without a goal from either team before the eighth shooters for each team stepped on the ice. The Cents couldn’t capitalize in the round, which gave the Smoke Eaters another opportunity to finish this one off. Ridge Dawson came down the ice on the left wing, cutting over to the right before the net, before wisely flipping the puck over the right shoulder of Hicks to end the game. Final score 2-1 in SO.

Hicks made 33/34 saves in the losing effort.

Saturday December 10, Merritt Centennials VS Cowichan Valley Capitals

This game for the Merritt Centennials was the classic teddy bear toss night, and the boys got the pressure off them early on. Five minutes into the first period, a dump and chase took a Centennials bounce off the back boards and found the tape of Carter Schmidt who was able to tap it into the empty net, triggering the wave of teddy bears onto the ice. The rest of the period was filled with penalties, with one major later in the frame. Anton Yatsyshin, from the Cowichan Valley Capitals, hit Tyler Bates hard from behind into the boards which led to a minor penalty but a game misconduct for Yatsyshin. Bates headed back to the dressing room after the hit and did not return to the game. Final after the first, 1-0.

To start off the second period, Michael Shara was called for an interference call within the first three minutes, giving the Capitals the man advantage, but it was the Cents that took the advantage. Davide Patella chipped the puck off the boards to Mark Thurston who took the puck into the zone and passed back to Patella back-door for a short handed goal. The Centennials second short handed goal on the season so far. With less than five minutes left in the frame, Jaxson Murray found the back of the net for his eighth goal of the season to extend the Cents lead to three. Final after the second, 3-0.

The flood gates flew wide open for the Cents in the third period. Creeping up to the halfway mark of the period, with the Cents on the powerplay after Adam Leitch was called for boarding, Tristan Allen sent a shot onto the net from the point, beating the traffic in front for a powerplay goal. A minute later, Cole Melady went to the sin bin for cross-checking, sending the Cents right back on the man advantage. Another shot from the blue line got through everyone for a goal, with Jackson Murphy-Johnson scoring his first as a Merritt Centennial, to extend the lead to five on the powerplay. Less than two minutes later, Brayden Sinclair, and affiliate player for the Cents, snuck in the puck between the right post and the pad to score his first career BCHL goal in only his second career game. With a 6-0 lead, the game got chipy with another Capital playing being shown the gate. Pier Olivier Allard hit Patella up high with the shoulder and got a two minute penalty and a ten minute misconduct, putting him out for the rest of the game. Final score, 6-0.

Connor Sullivan was about to cross three items off his check list in one game. His first win as a Centennial, his first career BCHL win, and his first career BCHL shutout. Sullivan stopped all 27 shots to give the Cents their first shutout win of the season.

Next up, the Centennials play a rare Wednesday night game as they wrap up their home stand with a matchup against the Penticton Vees. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena.