The L. Turner Contracting Salmon Arm SilverBacks Atom A Development team completed their season in style last weekend, ultimately playing in the final game for first place in their division.
Salmon Arm faced Kelowna in their opener on Friday, starting slow but finishing strong with a 5-goal third period to take the game by a 6-4 final. Scoring for the Backs were Colby Feist (2), Taylor Howard (2), Connor McKee and Jarred Feist. Connor Johnson assisted on the game winner. Gabriel Muriels-Allaway was stellar in net for the win.
Saturday morning’s tilt saw the Backs face off against their rivals from Kamloops. Scoring for the SilverBacks in their 5-2 loss were Connor McKee on a sweet dish from Malcolm Petty, and Jarred Feist.
Their afternoon game proved more fruitful, as Salmon Arm defeated Westside by a final score of 7-5. Scoring for the SilverBacks were Colby Feist (2), Jarred Feist, Brendan Mayes, Marino Bordin(2) and Braden Hessler, while Ty Bailey had a helper.
Finishing in fourth after the round-robin set up a rematch vs Kamloops, and this time the Backs were much happier with the result. Crisp passes and outstanding goaltending proved to be the key, as Salmon Arm ousted their rivals from the playoffs by a 5-2 final. Scoring for the Backs were Colby (2) and Jarred Feist, Taylor Howard and Marino Bordin. Connor Kociuba, Zander Stewart, Blake McBeth and Korbin Forsyth helped slam the door on defense. The final stamp on and impressive win came from Ben Bannister late in the third period. The Backs netminder stopped a rocket wrister from the slot, flashing the leather and giving it the ol’ round the world to show the whole rink where the puck was – buried in his glove.
Defeating Kamloops vaulted Salmon Arm into the final against Merritt, the winner taking home top spot in the Gold division. This game was the ultimate see-saw battle, the teams trading goals right up until then end, resulting in a 5-5 tie in regulation. Scoring for the Backs were Colby Feist with the hat trick, Jarred Feist and Leighton Boyd. A Merritt penalty half way through the overtime period put the Backs on a 4 on 3 power play, but they couldn’t solve the opposition’s netminder; the overtime frame solved nothing, sending the game to a shootout. Although they were able to score a couple of times on the Merritt goalie, the backs fell one goal short and finished the season in second place for their division.
