Preview – Smoke Eaters head to Merritt looking for a bounce back
The Smoke Eaters will be looking to get back in the win column on Saturday night as they head to Merritt to take on the Centennials at Nicola Valley Memorial Arena.
Season series versus Merritt:
Nov. 10 Merritt 1 at Trail 2 Final
Dec. 4 Trail at Merritt 7:00 pm PST
Jan. 28 Trail at Merritt 7:00 pm PST
Feb. 19 Trail at Merritt 7:00 pm PST
Mar. 12 Merritt at Trail 7:00 pm PST
Coming off a 5-3 road loss to the Vipers the Smoke Eaters wrap up their three game road trip with a stop in Merritt to take on the Centennials. The Smoke Eaters again on Friday night showed their resilience in a coming back from 2-0 down to take a 3-2 lead in the third period. But the game got away from them in the final 10 minutes of the 3rd as the Vipers took the lead and parked the bus. The Smoke Eaters would have liked to finish on a few more of their chances that they created Friday but even so the fact that they are creating opportunities is still a positive despite the loss. The Smoke Eaters took a 2-1 win on home ice just a few weeks ago against the Centennials. They’ll be looking to repeat that result tonight.
Smoke Eaters leading scorers:
Michaelis (13-7-20)
Hunter (7-13-20)
Disher (6-11-17)
Cunningham (5-12-17)
Lagerback (8-7-15)
The Centennials, who were finally able to return home last night and play in front of their own fans, were able to pull through and get their first win of the season as Ben Ward scored the Overtime winner. The Cents beat the Wenatchee Wild 4-3 and will now be looking to build off that performance and turn their season around. They came close against the Smoke Eaters losing only 2-1 and had a chance to tie the game late as well. Nicola Velley Memorial Arena (NVMA) also comes with it’s advantages for the Cents in being a smaller ice surface and getting its fair share of bounces. Getting some players healthy has also been a big boost for the Cents who when they came to Trail had multiple Ap’s in the lineup. With a healthier core and a confidence boost from that first win the Cents are a team to be taken lightly.
Cents leading scorers:
Orchard (5-5-10)
Carter (1-7-8)
Dewitt (2-5-7)
Ward (4-1-5)
Mulrenin (2-2-4)
Puck drop from Merritt goes at 7pm from NVMA as the Smoke Eaters look to get back in the win column and the Cents look for back to back home wins. Catch the game on BCHLTV or listen on the Smoke Eaters Mixlr.