The A&W Peewee Tier 3 Silvertips went one up-one down on the weekend, dropping a game to division leading South Okanagan, before picking up their first win in their final game of the season.
Connor Kociuba got the Tips on the board in their Saturday tilt versus South Oak, hammering the puck past the home team’s netminder on the rebound from a Damian Earl shot on the power play. Ethan Lans would also score on a breakaway for the Silvertips, who suffered a 12-2 loss in the game.
Sunday’s game turned out a little better for the Tips, as they defeated Penticton 7-3. A scrambled first few minutes resulted in the Tips head coach calling his timeout early in an effort to settle the troops. The effort seemed to bring Salmon Arm back to earth, and a Blake McBeth slapper from the point would pinball its way past the Penticton goaltender just three minutes later.
Penticton would come on strong and score a pair of unanswered to take the lead, but the Tips wouldn’t be held back. Matt Campbell flew down the ice late in the first on an end-to-end rush while on a 5-on-3 penalty kill, slipping the puck into the net to tie it up with just over two minutes left in the opening frame. The Tips would head into the first intermission with the lead after a Mason Balon wrister just 26 seconds later.
Damian Earl and Dom Barbosa each tickled the twine in the second to spot them a three-goal lead heading into the third period. Henry Lenarduzzi and Barbosa with his second would seal the victory for the Silvertips. Although the whole team had an exceptional game, the line of Lenarduzzi, Earl and Kociuba had a strong effort for the Tips.
Defenceman Kai Fazan was a tower at both ends of the ice and added three helpers.
The Tips play a couple of exhibition games Saturday and Sunday, before playoffs begin the following weekend.
Bantam Silvertips
The Scotiabank Silvertips Bantam Tier 2 Rep Team split a pair of weekend exhibition games with the Pursuit of Excellence (POE) Academy Tier 1 Rep team.
On Sunday, the Silvertips overcame 2-0 and 4-2 deficits to defeat POE 6-4 at Norval Center in Armstrong. Salmon Arm used an aggressive forecheck to frustrate the smooth skating POE squad counting three unanswered goals in the third period.
Silvertip goals came from Evan Hughes (2), Jordan Campagnolo, Matthew Dolinar, Trent Thompson, and Ben Wardman. Bantam Tier 3 goaltender Kaiden Arnouse was called up and played a solid game in goal earning the victory.
On Saturday, POE skated to a 4-2 victory at the Enderby arena in a game that was very fast-paced with only one penalty called.
Hughes scored both goals for the Silvertips while Matthew Dolinar collected two assists and Tyler Chartier added a single helper in front of goaltender Devon Blackmore.
The defence consisting of Austin Anthony-Jules, Jason Herd, Noah Paterson, Cameron Watson, Steven Luchkanych and Jordan Campagnolo played a great game containing the speedy squad from POE as well as playing very physical in their own end.
The Silvertips are off to Prince George on Thursday for the Cougars Bantam Rep tournament with action opening Friday morning when the Silvertips play Fort St. John.
