Don’t let the final score fool you. A plucky squad of Surrey Eagles featuring just 14 skaters gave the host Merritt Centennials all they could handle before falling 5-2 at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena on Wednesday night.

Tallies by Michael Ederer and John Schiavo two minutes and seven seconds apart late in the third period broke open a close one-goal game that was, for all intents and purposes, a must-win situation for the Cents.

With the victory, Merritt leapfrogged over both West Kelowna and Salmon Arm and back into third place in the ever-so-tight BCHL Interior division standings. All three teams have 64 points, but the Centennials get the nod thanks to more outright wins on the season so far. Only two of the three teams will qualify for the playoffs which are set to begin the first week of March.

The Cents and Silverbacks have two games remaining on their regular-season schedule, including a head-to-head matchup on Friday at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm, while the Warriors have just one contest remaining against the Eagles Saturday night.

Merritt looked like they were going to put their affair with the visiting Eagles to bed early as Nick Fidanza unassisted and Cole Chorney with help from Zak Bowles put the Cents up 2-0 before the game was a dozen minutes old.

The low-flying Eagles, who came into Wednesday’s game with just nine wins on the season, weren’t about to fall from the nest too easily, however. First, Darius Davidson off a blocked point shot and then Lucas Stratford from a Tyler Harkins’ stretch pass got behind the Centennials’ defence and scored on breakaways to even the score going into the first intermission. The latter goal came with just one second remaining in the opening period.

Merritt’s play throughout the second stanza was tentative to say the least, resulting in the Eagles outshooting the Centennials 12-10. Many of those shots came in the first five minutes of period as Surrey enjoyed a two-man advantage for 25 seconds and peppered Jonah Imoo in the Cents’ net.

The Centennials weathered the early storm and Rhett Willcox put them back in front with the only goal of the period, a power play tally at the 10:11 mark with help from captain Sam Johnson and defenceman Shane Poulsen.

It remained a one-goal game through much of the final 20 minutes of regulation until Ederer and Schiavo put the game away in the late stages of the third. Ederer’s snipe came off a beautiful, seeing-eye pass from Fidanza, while Schiavo’s contribution was set up by a pair of Merritt blueliners – rookie Tyrell Buckley and 20-year-old Jake Clifford.

First star of the game, Merritt’s Cole Chorney, tosses the ceremonial pizza box to a horde of young Centennials’ fans following the Cents’ 5-2 victory over the Surrey Eagles on Wednesday night. Chorney had one goal and one assist, and played a key role on the penalty kill against a plucky Eagles team. Ian Webster/Herald

First star of the game, Merritt’s Cole Chorney, tosses the ceremonial pizza box to a horde of young Centennials’ fans following the Cents’ 5-2 victory over the Surrey Eagles on Wednesday night. Chorney had one goal and one assist, and played a key role on the penalty kill against a plucky Eagles team. Ian Webster/Herald

In a rare start, Eagles’ backup Daniel Davidson was quite useful in net, stopping 31 of 36 shots. At the other end of the ice, Jonah Imoo turned aside 26 Surrey pucks.

In his post-game interview with Q101 play-by-play broadcaster David Ashbaugh, Cents’ assistant coach Joe Martin gave his team a B-rating, a seven out of 10.

“We started out really well,” he said, “but then we gave up those two breakaways. It really put a bad feeling in the dressing room at the end of the period. We tightened up [in the second], and the guys were making mistakes all over the place. They were just afraid to see another one go in.

“Fortunately, we got the lead back off a power play goal by Rhett. The third period wasn’t our best by any means, but the effort was there, and they definitely deserved to win tonight.”

“Huge,” was the way Martin described the five-on-three penalty-kill by his team to begin the second period. “That’s something we’ve been really happy with lately. We’ve made a few changes to our kill, and I think it’s been really helping us.”

Martin gave credit to Surrey for showing up and playing a strong game.

“You look at their play of late and they’ve had a couple of good games. That first line on their team could be the first line on any team. They’re good hockey players. They played well. We have to respect that anybody you play in the B.C. Hockey League can win a game.”

Martin admitted that the game plan going into Wednesday night was to wear the undermanned Eagles down.

“You almost don’t want to tell the players that, but it certainly was the coaches’ plan,” he said. “It can lead to bad things.”

Ederer’s late-game tally was another big moment, Martin said.

“You could feel it on the bench. We needed that one.”

Looking ahead to Friday’s showdown with the Silverbacks, Martin said,   “They’ve been playing really well. They got a late, come-from-behind victory [in overtime Tuesday night against Langley].

“I think we’re playing pretty well right now, too. It’s going to be a very good matchup – probably the biggest game of the year. It’s kind of good going through this tight stretch before playoffs, because it’s forcing us to play good hockey.”