The Merritt Centennials came up short in their lone effort this week, losing 4-3 in a tight game against the visitors from south of the border, Washington’s Wenatchee Wild. With only 15 games remaining in the season following the loss, the team’s playoff chances are looking grim.
The Cents hosted the Wild at the Nicola Valley memorial arena, in front of a crowd of 450 excited fans, all eager for a win on home ice. Johnny Hicks started in net for Merritt, with Wenatchee electing to start #30 Owen Millward. The first period was off to a flying start for the Cents who scored first just three minutes in. Ryan Spinale snagged his sixth point of the season by finding the twine behind Millward. The next few minutes were back and forth, including a Cents powerplay that saw no points scored, along with a period of 4 on 4 that saw a Wenatchee goal by Luke Weilandt to make the score 1-1. Moments later, Arvega Hovsepyan with the Wild garnered a high-sticking penalty, but the Cents were unable to capitalize on the ensuing power play. The Cents then garnered a cross-checking penalty with 30 seconds left in the period.
At the start of the second period, the Wild were immediately able to use their man advantage by scoring against Hicks to make it a 2-1 game. The Cents replied to tie it up just a minute later with a goal by #7 Carter Schmidt, assisted by #16 Ryan Spinale. The next 10 minutes of the period were taken up by strong defensive play on both sides of the ice. Mark Thurston would then put the Cents back in the lead with a goal at the 14:04 mark for a score of 3-2. After the ensuing faceoff, Cents Captain Christian Lowe garnered a cross-checking penalty, leading to a goal by Jason Stefanek to make the game tied once again at 3-3. The remaining time in the period saw just one penalty against the Cents’ Jackson Murphy-Johnson for slashing, but no scoring took place.
The third period was a fresh start for both teams at a 3-3 score. With the game on the line, the Cents and the Wild both played hard to try and put their team in the lead. The defense was strong throughout the period, with no goals being let in until the 14:36 mark, when Weilandt and Stefanek struck again for a goal on Hicks. This would lead to the eventual final score of 4-3, with the remainder of the period remaining free of action besides a handful of penalties. Merritt’s #1, Johnny Hicks, saved 49/53 in the losing effort.
The Cents now hold a 10–24–3–2 record, and hold the bottom spot in the league’s Interior division. With 15 games left in the BCHL’s regular season, the team is 12 points behind the Trail Smoke Eaters, who currently occupy the bottom playoff spot. Next weekend, the boys from Merritt head to Prince George for two games against the Spruce Kings. Puck drop for both games is scheduled for 7:00pm. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.merrittcentennials.com.
