HOT & HEAVY ACTION IN FRONT OF SILVERBACKS NET IN FIRST PERIOD
The Smokies sent 2200 fans home happy on Friday night with a 7-4 win over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks winning the best of seven series 4 games to 1. They now face the Vernon Vipers in the next round starting next Friday in Vernon. The second game will also be in Vernon on Saturday night.
CONGRATULATORY HANDSHAKE AS SMOKIES MOVE ON TO MEET VERNON
Salmon Arm took an early 2-0 lead when two errant bounces off the boards eluded Smokie’s goaltender, Linden Marshall. Elijiah Barriga capitalized on one of those when he picked up the puck and scored at 1:06. Jarred Turcotte took advantage of the other and scored to put Salmon Arm up 2-0 at the 3:18 mark. For the remainder of the period it was all Trail as they went on to out-shoot the Silverbacks 22-7 and scored three goals to take a 3-2 lead into the second period. Ross Armour scored his 3rd goal of the series at 10:51 to make it 2-1. Assisting on the goal was Carter Cochrane, picking up his 8th assist in the series. At 13:35 Smokie’s Braeden Tuck scored his first of the series to tie the game. Ross Armour and Mitch Stapley assisted on the goal. Luke Santerno scored his 4th goal of the series on a Smokie power play at 15:19 with Carter Cochrane picking up his 9th assist and Mitche Stapley picking up his 5th.
CONNOR BROWN MALOSKI – FIRST STAR WITH 2 GOALS AND 1 ASSIST
Smokie’s captain, Connor Brown Maloski, scored at 12:39 of the second to put Trail up 4-2. Ross Armour picked up his 4th assist on the play and Mitchell Barker his first. At 15:18 of the period Salmon Arm’s Austin Chorney Trail’s lead to 4-3.
CARTER COCHRANE THIRD STAR – STRONG SERIES FOR SMOKIES
Trail regained a two goal lead when Connor Brown Maloski scored at 3:30 of the third making it 5-3. Luke Santerno assiste don the goal. The Silverbacks again pulled within one when Elijiah Barriga scored at 8:13 on a power play to make it a 5-4 game. It was as close as the Backs would get as the Smokies scored two unanswered goals to finish the game. Baline Caton scored a power play marker at 10:37 with the assist going to Andre Ghantous. At 16:42 Mitchell Barker scored into an empty net as the Silverbacks pulled Tallarico for an extra attacker. Connor Brown Maloski and Troy Ring assisted on the goal. The goal sealed the win for the Smokies.
SMOKIES LET LOOSE – CELEBRATE SERIES WIN – VERNON NEXT
First star of the game was Trail’s Connor Brown Maloski with 2 goals and an assist, Carter Cochrane was named second star with 2 assists on the night and Elijiah Barriga of Salmon Arm was named third star. Fortis Energy Player of the Game was Smokie’s Braeden Tuck. On the night the Smokies out-shot the Silverbacks 49-28.
The Smokies now travel to Vernon next Friday and Saturday for the first two games of the best of seven semi-final series in the division.
