Recap – Smoke Eaters comeback from 3-0 deficit for first win if the season
As the age old saying goes, it’s not about how you start but how you finish and the Smoke Eaters will be happy with their resolve on Saturday in Merritt, coming back from an early 3-0 deficit to win 7-4 over the Centennials.
It wasn’t the start the Smoke Eaters had drawn up as after taking a warmup violation penalty and killing that off, they found themselves down 3-0 by the 9:01 mark to the Centennials. Former Smoke Eater Jackson Krill found the net twice early on to give Merritt what looked like a commanding lead. But the Smoke Eaters would put their opening powerplay to good use as Jordan Hendry popped his first goal of the year with his shot from the point.
It was another defenceman just moments later getting in on the scoring, as Brody Juck made his Smoke Eaters debut, and collected his first BCHL goal in the process on the shot from the left point. Less than two minutes later the Smoke Eaters had completely erased the three goal deficit as Nic Remissong faked the short side shot and got the goaltender to bite, allowing him to wrap the puck around the net for the equalizer.
The Smoke Eaters got their powerplay going again in the second after a major penalty was assessed to the Centennials defenceman for a dangerous trip that resulted in Hendry missing the rest of the game. On the ensuing powerplay Remissong, from his net front position, would redirect a pass from Quinn Disher to give the Smoke Eaters their first lead. Parsons added his second of the season a minute later as he shipped a loose put past Merik Erickson in the Merritt net for a 5-3 and the goal that would stick as the eventual game winner.
The Cents would add one late in the period, making it a one goal game going to the third period, as they finally got one past Teagan Kendrick who came in for relief of Tisdale after the 3-0 goal.
The Smoke Eaters quickly recovered from the late second period goal as just 18 seconds into the third Parsons would score his second of the night from below the goal line, with the puck hitting a Merritt player and deflecting in. Mathieu Cobetto-Roy would also open his Smoke Eater account in the third with an empty net breakaway goal to seal a 7-4 road victory and a first win of the season for the Smoke Eaters.
Trail now heads home in preparation for their home opener on Friday, September 30th against the Cranbrook Bucks.