Brandon Bruce completed his hat trick with the overtime winner for the visiting Merritt Centennials as they upended the Salmon Arm SilverBacks 6-5 Friday night putting 49 shots on goal in the process.
Salmon Arm held the early edge with Devin Muller scoring twice in the first six minutes of the game. Bruce's first got Merritt on the board but Alex Gillies restored a two-goal SilverBacks lead after one.
The SilverBacks chased starter Tyler Steel from the crease early in the second but the teams went on to trade two goals apiece in the middle frame meaning the Cents needed a pair in the third to force OT. They got markers from Payton Schaefer and Bruce to do that and Bruce's third of the night came at 1:54 of the first OT to win it.
The Powell River Kings offence came alive with four power-play goals but it was a stellar defensive effort and 1st Star job by goalie Sean Maguire that led them to a 5-0 win over the visiting Westside Warriors. Evan Richardson's first-period goal proved to be the winner and blueliner Craig Dalrymple added two more on the night including a shorthanded tally. Maguire made 25 saves.
The Victoria Grizzlies came to Nanaimo having scored seven goals in each of their last three games but were held to just a pair as the Clippers won 3-2. Each Nanaimo goal came on the power play with Brett Hartskamp and Luke Gordon talliying in the first on opposite sides of a Wesley Myron goal for the Grizz. Kyle Kramer's second-period marker was the winner.
In Prince George, the Spruce Kings got a goal each period and defeated the Vernon Vipers 3-2. PG's Michael Colantone opened the scoring midway throught the first. The game was tied 2-2 after two with Michael Zalewski and John Knisley scoring for the Vipers in the second around a Jujhar Khaira goal. Khaira's second, on the power play near the midway point of the third, won it. Paul De Jersey had three assists for PG.
The visiting Surrey Eagles got a natural hat trick from Tyler Morley including the OT winner to down the Coquitlam Express 4-3. Morley's first came early in the second period and his second put Surrey up a goal early in the third. Brady Shaw tied it with a power play goal but Morley's third came on the power play late in the first overtime.
The third overtime game of Friday night went in favour of the Chilliwack Chiefs in a 4-3 win over the visiting Trail Smoke Eaters. Trail didn't score til the second but led 2-1 after two on goals by Adam Fares and Taylor House. The Chiefs went up a goal early in the third with Kit Sitterley and Jeremy Gossard tallying but Erik Cooper's goal forced OT where Trevor Hills won it 39 seconds in.
