Emerging behind by one after a seven-goal first period, the Langley Rivermen rallied to claim a 7-5 win on home ice over the Surrey Eagles with Cam Ginnetti potting the winner in the third.
Desi Burgart and Nick Minerva had the visitors out to an early lead before McKay Flanagan cut the lead in half which touched off a string of five goals between the teams in 5:23 of play. Mike Sauer restored the Eagles’ tw0-goal lead 33 seconds after Flanagan’s goal and Sean Gulka scored for Langley 1:10 after that. Then Darius Davidson got a power-play tally for Surrey and Ryan Barrow scored for Langley to make it 4-3 Surrey after one.
Logan Mostat put Surrey back up two midway through the second but Gavin Payne and Barrow replied to tie it 5-5 heading to the third. Ginnetti’s goal at 10:59 of the third was the winner with Cooper Leitch adding on an empty-net goal in the final minute.
Owen Sillinger’s overtime goal lifted the Penticton Vees to a 3-2 home win over the Chilliwack Chiefs. Derek Osik opened the scoring in the first for Chilliwack but Chris Klack replied for the Vees just eight seconds later. The second was scoreless and in the final frame, Kale Kane’s goal with 2:14 to play looked like it might hold up for the winner but Nic Jones scored with the extra attacker with 1:20 to go forcing OT. Sillinger finished a play set up by Jonny Tychonick and Gabe Bast to secure the win for Penticton. Mark Sinclair made 37 saves for Chilliwack while Mat Robson stopped 12 for the Vees.
The Powell River Kings built a three-goal lead and held on to defeat the visiting Cowichan Valley Capitals 3-2. Kyle Betts and Josh Coblenz scored in the first period and it was Curtis McCarrick’s goal early in the second that proved the decisive tally. Max Newton got the Caps on the board near the midway mark of the second and Rhett Kingston scored with the extra attacker on the ice to get them within one but that’s as close as it got. Brian Wilson made 19 saves for the win while Lane Michasiw kicked out 39 for the Caps.
Jacob Berger made 48 saves for the Merritt Centennials, backstopping them to a 3-2 road win over the Trail Smoke Eaters. Henry Cleghorn and Nick Fidanza scored in the first, putting the Cents ahead by two but Luke Santerno had a quick reply to get the Smokies back within one heading to the second. Zach Risteau’s goal in the second would be the winner as Spencer McLean got one back for Trail but it was the last puck to get past Berger on the night. Trail fired 18 shots on goal in the third but couldn’t find the tying goal.
A five-goal second period, including two tallies from Luke Gingras, paved the way for the Vernon Vipers in a 6-0 win over the Coquitlam Express. After a scoreless first, the Vipers broke out for four goals in 4:17 with Michael Ufberg, Brett Stapley, Gingras and Shane Kelly doing the damage. Gingras added his second of the game late in the middle frame to put the Vipers in control. Steven Jandric scored in the third and Darion Hanson wound up with 18 saves in his first BCHL start, earning his first win and shutout.
Timothy Friedman scored twice, including the game-winner, as the Victoria Grizzlies downed the visiting Nanaimo Clippers 5-2. Nathan Looysen and Friedman had the Grizz up 2-0 after one and after Tate Coughlin scored for the Clips in the second, Friedman got his second of the game and it proved to be the winner. Brett Stirling added insurance in the third and after Matt Kowalski got the other Nanaimo goal, Jake Stevens iced it with an empty-netter. Matthew Galajda made 22 saves for the win.
Chong Lee scored twice and Brett Mennear set up four of the goals in a 6-3 home win for the Prince George Spruce Kings over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Lee opened the scoring and Adam Burnett’s power-play goal made it 2-0 PG after one. Just 38 seconds into the second, Tyler Anderon made it a three-goal edge but seven seconds later, Carson Bolduc got Salmon Arm on the board. Josh Latta got the ‘Backs within one but Jarod Hovde restored a two-goal PG lead going to the third. Elijiah Barriga scored to bring Salmon Arm within one but they’d get no closer. Lee scored his second and Travis Schneider added an empty-netter.
A four-goal first period and five more in the third allowed the Wenatchee Wild to earn an 11-2 home win over the West Kelowna Warriors. Colin Burston opened the scoring and added a shorthanded goal before Dakota Raabe scored shorthanded as well, on the same Warriors power-play, to give the Wild all the goals they’d need. Connor Sodergren got the visitors on the board but Jacob Modry made it 4-1 Wild after one. Matthew Campese scored early in the second but it would be the final Warriors goal on the night with Chris Jones and – to complete his hat trick – Burston responding for Wenatchee. Tyler Rockwell, Matt Baker, Charlie Combs, Brian Williams and Jones rounded out the scoring in the third. Anthony Yamnitsky had 19 saves for the win.
