Preview: Penticton @ Merritt

Merritt: 26-12-2-5 (59 pts) - 2nd in Interior
LAST GAME: 3-2 loss in Nanaimo on Sunday

Penticton: 37-3-0-2 (76 pts) - 1st in Interior
LAST GAME: 3-1 win over Prince George on Sunday (won 25 in a row... you read that right)

Season Series: Merritt 1-3-0-1 (Penticton has outscored them 21-10)

THE MOST HYPED GAME OF THE SEASON IS FINALLY HERE!

• this is the first real "stumble" in quite some time for Merritt, as they are coming off 2 losses in their last 3 games during the island road trip. Overall, the last 4 games (including the 2-1 win over Westside one week ago) have had something missing and left something to be desired. Every season has it's speedbumps, but coming into a game with a team that's won 25 straight and easily the best team in the country, this stumble definitely comes at the wrong time

• for a long time, especially during their 7 game winning streak, Merritt was finding ways to win in various ways (mostly through balanced scoring and contributions from everyone, including dmen). Now they appear to be lacking that confidence and swagger, that winning feeling. It's tough to get that back in time for tonight's game, but if they manage to upset the Vees, there's no question they'll have more swagger and confidence than they probably did after 7 straight wins

• one of the biggest things missing in the last 4 games is that "depth". The 1st line has scored 9 of the last 10 goals during these 4 games (including Soquila setting up Mancuso for his first of the BCHL in Victoria), but tonight that will have to change, since Soquila (league's 8th leading scorer) is not playing due to a charlie horse suffered on his left leg in Nanaimo on Sunday

• without Soquila, other lines will need to step up and not only play hard, but contribute tonight. Chances are, Merritt might need at least 4-5 goals to win this game. Why? The Vees are an offensive machine with 6 of the top 7 scorers in the league and 7 of the top 9.  But number 7 and 8 on the list are both out of the lineup with injuries tonight, that being Soquila for Merritt and Mike Reilly for Penticton. They're both tied with 56 points, but Mike Reilly has done it in 10 less games (35 vs 45). Needless to say, Mike Reilly is easily the biggest offensive threat from the blueline in the league and has burned Merritt many times, so the Centennials will definitely be helped out with not having him in the lineup. It's a pretty fair trade, but the loss of Soquila means much more to Merritt, because they are nowhere near as deep offensively as the Vees

• Penticton not only has 25 straight wins and are the top ranked team in the country, but they also have the best power play and penalty kill in the league, and by far the top ranked goaltender (Michael Garteig) who has 10 more wins (31) than the next closest goalie, and by far the best goals against average and save percentage. They have a league-leading 15 division 1 scholarship commitments, including 3 NHL draft picks (who have all played like it this season)

• based on all the circumstances, Merritt will definitely need to come up with their best game of the season: they have to show discipline and stay out of the box (don't want to tempt fate with a 32% power play), they have to play with the urgency and desperation of a game 7 of the Fred Page Cup. It will take every guy digging in (especially without Soquila) and finding an extra gear to keep up with the Vees. Lino Chimienti is scheduled to get the start, and there's no question that with as much firepower as the Vees have, he will have to be the 1st star in this game and outplay Garteig

• you might think that with the Vees having all but mathematically secured 1st place in the BCHL regular season, they might not have much motivation, but that's definitely not true. Head coach Fred Harbinson always keeps them on their toes and makes sure they never take their foot off the gas pedal. But right now, the motivation is there without their coach saying a word. The Vees are just 4 wins shy of tying the all time BCHL record of most consecutive wins (29) set by the New Westminster Royals in 1989-90. Believe me that with most of the team having scholarships and 1st place secured, this is the one unifying goal that keeps them jacked up every game, and every player on that team will want to be a part of history. So Penticton will come out as hungry as ever tonight

Opening face-off tonight is at 7:00pm, which means the pre-game show gets going at 6:30pm. You can tune in on Q101 FM in Merritt or online at Q101.ca

*So the lineups for Merritt change a bit with the absence of Regan Soquila, and Luke Pierce will give Jakob Reichert a chance to finally break out to his potential by playing on the top line with Stack and Brears. Here's how the lineups shape up for both teams:

MERRITT:

Evan Stack (91)           Chad Brears (91)          Jakob Reichert (93)
               
Silvan Harper (92)        Brandon Bruce (93)      Carter Shinkaruk (91)
  
Tyler Martin (93)          Brayden Low (94)        Sean Maktaak (92)
    
Payton Schaefer (93)     Brent Fletcher (92)       Brendan Lamont (94)


                      Reece Willcox (94)        Brandon Pfeil (92)
       
                    Richard Sabourin (92)        Dylan Chanter (95)
 
                       Billy Marshall (91)        Ross Mancuso (92)

       
                                       Lino Chimienti (91)             
      
                                         Tyler Steel (93)       

SCRATCHES:

Regan Soquila (93) INJ


PENTICTON:

Mario Lucia (93)          Travis St.Denis (92)        Connor Reilly (91)
         
Joey Benik (92)            Steven Fogarty (93)        Bryce Gervais (92)
   
Logan Johnston (91)      Ryan Reilly (91)             Wade Murphy (93)
               
Curtis Loik (93)            Grant Nicholson (93)       Cody DePourcq (95)


                Kyle Beaulieu (91)        Troy Stecher (94)
   
                Nick Buchanan (91)        DJ Jones (92)
   
                 Chad Bannor (92)        Zach Urban (93)

       
                                 Michael Garteig (91)       
   
                                  Chad Katunar (93)       

SCRATCHES:

Mike Reilly (93) INJ

BCHL Roundtable Episode 4

In the 4th edition of this very popular feature, Powell River Kings broadcaster Alex Rawnsley is back to host a chat with myself and Fraser Rodgers of the Penticton Vees on the slew of changes made for next season at the Board of Governors meetings last week in Richmond. These changes include cutting the number of games from 60 to 56, including a showcase tournament before the start of the regular season (which has been moved up by 2 weeks), and re-alignment with conferences/divisions. It was a very interesting chat the 3 of us had, a chat that lasted almost an hour and a half, but just 30 minutes on record. I will have the roundtable on the air in 4 parts over the 4 intermissions coming up in this week's 2 games (Wednesday + Friday), but that will be the condensed 20 minute version. This is the full 30 minute version so you can get the full scope of where this discussion took us.

*I want to simply say this on the matter: obviously the roundtable is based on the opinion of us broadcasters, but the BCHL message board has a very lengthy thread about the changes, and outside of the showcase (which is also surrounded by question marks), nobody seems very happy with these new changes. So the real opinion lies with you, not with us. Feel free to post your own thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.

BCHL Roundtable Episode 4 Raw by agreb21

Vancouver Island Weekend Highlights

Sorry I couldn't get these up on Monday like I promised, but my schedule got a little twisted with us getting stuck in Nanaimo one more night. So here are the audio highlights from all 3 games, starting with Alberni Valley on Friday, Victoria Saturday, and Nanaimo on Sunday.

*For the record, the loss on Friday was Merritt's first (in regulation anyways) since the blog launched in December. Just saying ;)

Merritt @ Alberni Valley Jan 20 Highlights by agreb21

Merritt @ Victoria Jan 21 Highlights by agreb21

Merritt @ Nanaimo Jan 22 Highlights by agreb21

1 WEEK LEFT TO SUPPORT MERRIT'S BID FOR CBC KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE!

Thanks to Michelle Burton for putting together this poster (you can see it around town)

In case you haven't been made aware of this yet, Merritt has been entered in CBC's annual "Kraft Hockeyville" contest, for a chance to win $100,000 in arena upgrades and an NHL exhibition game right here in the Nicola Valley. Could you imagine? Winning this contest would mean in incredible amount to this town and enhance our image on the map. Not to mention the benefits to the long-term success of our beloved Merritt Centennials. But we need YOUR help! The details are on the above poster... we need MUCH more people to sign up and "join" our community bid online, and we need plenty of contributions of photos, videos and stories to help support our bid and give us a chance at the top 15 come February.

Just think what $100,000 can do for the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, and to draw much larger crowds for Centennials games down the road. Don't just think, put your stories on paper (or on screen). I have already submitted a story of my ideas along with the story of the late Bob Murray (longtime contributor to the Merritt News with his "Country Boy" columns) about his massive contribution in getting the arena built.

***I'm gonna lay it on the line right now... I've seen the package that winning communities have put together in the past, and it is extremely impressive and detailed, with hundreds, if not thousands of supporters. We have one week left, and we have to FLOOD our community page with hundreds more people joining and posting their stories of "community/hockey pride" (Stories needed right now are about why Merritt deserves to win and what would be done with the money to upgrade). Don't wait for someone else and wonder "what could have been". Take the initiative, join our page, and give us a fighting chance to at least get into the top 15. And then who knows from there (top 5 communities get a substantial donation for arena upgrades as well). LET'S DO THIS MERRITT!!!

Cents get "Clipped" in Nanaimo, Remain on the Island

It was a physical war on the ice and a tight 60 minutes of hockey, but at the end of the day, the Centennials couldn't overcome a slow start and suffered their 2nd loss in 3 games on the island road trip, 3-2 to the Nanaimo Clippers.

• the 1st period saw plenty of frantic action both ways with both goalies staying very busy (shots were 16 apiece), but the Centennials fell behind in the shot clock early and were on their heels a bit, as the refreshed Clippers got the early jump against the tired Cents

• Lino was strong early and got a break on a shot that hit the post on a Clippers breakaway... the Centennials were able to climb back on the shot clock, but with a lot of perimeter shots that were easily handled by Faust (who fought his rebound control tonight and allowed for plenty of 2nd chances, though many of them were cleared by his defensemen)

• the shots wound up even but Nanaimo had the much better scoring chances. In fact, I had them pegged at about 6-1 at least in that 1st period for the Clippers

• Nanaimo would get rewarded for their strong early play and ability to create chances, as they got a lucky bounce on a spin-around shot from Clayton Chessa in the left circle that went off the shin off Correale and through the legs of Chimienti

• the Clippers kept pushing right afterwards, and after a couple of great chances for Gordon, the puck wound up on the stick of the Clippers 16 year old Brendan Taylor who fired a wicked shot from the right circle over Lino's shoulder on the short side. 2 goals in 1:50 and Nanaimo was in control

• the 2nd period saw the Centennials push a little harder and create more opportunities for offense, while Lino did well to give them a chance to climb back. Finally Harper found a hole behind the defense and Lamont set him up with a beautiful breakaway pass from center... Harper made a nifty deke to the backhand and slid the puck through the legs of Faust to get the Cents on the board and give the bench a big boost

• Merritt followed up this goal with a lot of energy and pressure in the offensive zone, but their momentum was taken away by a late penalty. And just 8 seconds into the Clippers power play, Gladiuk won the face-off back, McCormack fired a shot on goal and Correale pounced on a juicy rebound for his 2nd of the game... 3 minutes after Merritt had got to within one, the Clippers scored a backbreaker to regain the 2 goal cushion and they finished the last few minutes as the stronger team

• in the 3rd, despite playing the night before, the Centennials found some urgency they didn't have before and pushed really hard to climb back into it, like they did down 2-0 Friday night vs Alberni Valley. They fired tons of shots on goal, but again not a whole lot of grade A scoring chances. Defensively, the really contained the Clippers well though

• With the 1st line tied up in their own zone, Regan Soquila (who was 8th in BCHL scoring coming into this game) took a really hard hit against the side boards from Clayton Chessa, and as the play went into the Clippers zone, Soquila remained on the ice in agony, then tried to crawl to the bench, unable to even stand up. It appeared like his left knee went into the boards awkwardly, and he had to be helped off the ice limping to the dressing room, and never came back. The injury looked extremely serious and came at the worst time with Merritt trying to come back in that game, and anticipating Penticton in their rink on Wednesday (now winners of 25 in a row after a 3-1 win over Prince George this afternoon). Soquila will be evaluated either Monday or Tuesday, but in my opinion, looks very doubtful for Wednesday's big showdown.

Here's the sequence of events that transpired. Images courtesy of Chris Koehn/Nanaimo Daily News (formerly of the Merritt Herald). Thanks Chris!

You can see in the first pic that Soquila's leg is up in the air. It
was either bent when he was hit by Chessa or it was a charley horse
from Chessa's knee to his thigh. The hit was a side body check by
Chessa and I don't think there was any intent to knee on knee. It
looked clean enough but Soquila tried to dodge it and appeared to have
been unlucky.
 
Soquila hits the ice, takes a second to register the agony and then
begins dragging himself to the bench. He made it as far as centre ice
before play was whistled down and he was helped off the ice.

• Silvan Harper took Soquila's spot on the top line the rest of the game and fit in seamlessly... and just when Merritt needed a spark, they got one, as that line worked really hard to keep the puck in the offensive zone, and Chanter's shot from the right circle created a juicy rebound for captain Evan Stack who buried his 21st of the season to tie him with Brears for the team lead

• The Cents would get a late power play with 6 minutes left, but unfortunately, they couldn't come up clutch. For the first time in 7 games, Merritt did not score a power play goal (on 5 tries) and that wound up being their ultimate undoing, as the Clippers lone power play marker wound up being the game winner

• after the power play, the Centennials had trouble generating many chances to tie it up, and the Clippers played a great game of clock management, not even allowing Lino Chimienti to leave his net for the extra attacker... the Cents would come no closer, and the game ended with Merritt battling to even get the puck out of their own zone

*Faitgue was a clear factor in putting the Cents behind the 8-ball, but they deserve lots of credit for getting better as the game went on

*Although there weren't a lot of high quality scoring chances, Merritt still deserves credit for firing 46 pucks on Billy Faust the afternoon after playing against Victoria, going up against a team in Nanaimo that hasn't played since Friday

*Billy Faust looked shaky at times but effective, as he got lots of help from his team taking away 2nd chance opportunities when they arose... it was a real team effort for the Clippers

*Desperation is not something you can teach or coach, but something that comes into effect depending on various factors. This weekend, it looked like the Centennials were a little comfortable with their lead on 2nd place and felt that success would come naturally against the Coastal's non-playoff teams, while Nanaimo showed their hunger and urgency and won many puck battles in the game, climbing to within 5 points of Coquitlam for the final playoff spot with both teams having 19 games left, and 4 head to head meetings left as well. This was a game with the coaches stealing the spotlight, but for Nanaimo, it was as big a game as any outside of Coquitlam

*the game was very phsyical and had a nasty tone to it. The Clippers often tried to bully the Centennials around, but Merritt wouldn't back down... unfortunately, this wound up in a few penalties that I'm sure the guys would like to have back (including a bench minor), as discipline was an issue on the night and over the weekend

*in case you haven't heard by now, the reason I'm able to write this blog entry tonight instead of tomorrow is because the team is staying in Nanaimo due to very strong winds up to 100km/hour canceling all ferries for the day. I can't complain with an extra night in a hotel room, but it would have been a lot more enjoyable with a "W" in the column this afternoon

*the big question now shifts to "how will Merritt respond"? Wednesday night they will see possibly the best team in BCHL history, a Penticton squad that is just 4 wins shy of tying the New West Royals 20 year old record of 29 straight wins, and they need to come out with their best game of the season. They were STILL the last team to beat them, a 3-2 overtime win back on Nov 5 (in Penticton where the Vees were missing 5 top players to the World Junior A Challenge), and they might have the best chance of anyone in the league at being the NEXT team to beat them, provided they come out with a positive attitude and an elite effort, like the one we saw last weekend in the 3 straight home games vs Vernon, Chilliwack and Langley

Preview: Merritt @ Nanaimo

Merritt: 26-11-2-5 (59 pts) - 2nd in Interior Conference
LAST GAME: 4-1 win over Victoria yesterday

Nanaimo: 18-15-0-7 (43 pts) - 5th in Coastal Conference (7 points back of 4th place Coquitlam with 1 game in hand)
LAST GAME: 3-2 overtime win over Surrey on Friday

*First and only meeting between these two teams

• there is no question this will be the biggest test of the weekend for Merritt, and the first game in 5 where they play a team above .500, a team with something to play for

• as you can see, Nanaimo is well rested after a big momentum win on Friday, while the Centennials were (surprisingly) pushed to their limits vs Victoria last night, and will enter this game with fatigue playing a factor

• after a dominant weekend on home ice, the past 3 games (although Merritt has gone 2-1) have been 3 headscratchers, where something is missing, and something left to be desired. The Centennials were never "bad" in any of them, but they were far from their best, and did not play up to their potential. Instead they seemed to be playing down to the competition. Nanaimo is not a team that will allow Merritt to do that

• the Centennials desperately need to find some balanced offense. They recently had 2 out of 4 games where every line scored at least once in that game (vs Salmon Arm and vs Chilliwack), but the past 3 games (aforementioned headscratchers), it's been entirely the first line. First Stack Brears with 2 vs Westside, then Stack with 2 vs Alberni Valley, then Brears with 2, Soquila with 1, and Soquila setting up the other goal vs Victoria. So technically, all 8 goals scored during the past 3 games have been from the first line. That is a definite area of concern. Even though it's not all an effort issue, line 2-4 need to find a way to break through, or Merritt can get themselves in serious trouble against the better teams, especially when you look at Penticton coming up on Wednesday

• the Cents will also look to re-commit themselves to the focus of "team defense"; something they were great at last weekend in the 3 home games, but something that has been lacking at times in the last 3 games. The goaltenders, instead of thanking the players in front of them for making life easy, they've had to bail out the players with big saves far too many times (especially the last 2 nights)

• this is the last game for Merritt before the highly anticipated and hyped meeting with Penticton on Wednesday, and the Vees (if they beat Prince George today) could come into that game on a 25 game winning streak. Therefore, the Cents need a big effort and a game where they smooth out all their wrinkles. They need to be flying high and injected with confidence. Any self-doubt come Wednesday could lead to a long and frustrating night

• Nanaimo made a few moves at the deadline, both buying and selling, with the most significant deal seeing Colton Cyr go to Vernon and Clayton Chessa land in Nanaimo. The former Smoke-Eater sniper has just 1 assist through 3 games with his new club so far, but he could break out at any time

• the Clippers are in an absolute dogfight for the final playoff spot with Coquitlam. The Express loss last night allows the Clippers to get within 5 points of them (with both teams having 19 games left) if they can beat Merritt. This means expect Nanaimo to come out desperate and hungry, and the Centennials will have to match that energy

• Lino Chimienti will be the only fresh body in the lineup, as he draws back in between the pipes, and considering the desperation from the Clippers and the short turnaround for the Cents, he might be relied upon to make a few big stops in the 1st to allow the Cents to find their game and work off the fatigue (this is a game that the Cents will need to play on adrenalin)

• despite all the storylines and implications, the spotlight for this game is on the 2 coaches: Luke Pierce will go up against his former Vernon Vipers coach Mike Vandekamp, where the 2 of them enjoyed much success a decade ago. Vandekamp is also of course a former coach in Merritt, and he took over the reigns in Nanaimo this season after leaving the Grande Prairie Storm of the AJHL for personal reasons (to be closer to his wife on the coast). I'm sure the two of them will downplay the meaning of this game, but believe me they both want to win it bigtime. Luke Pierce more for the significance of what it means (the student trying to conquer the teacher), and Mike Vandekamp to prove that he is still the "superior", but mostly for the 2 points and what it would mean for his team. It's a great storyline, and I hope to talk to both coaches before the game to get their thoughts on it

Opening face-off is at 3:00pm this afternoon, which means the pre-game show begins at 2:30pm. That's where/when you can hear from Luke Pierce and (hopefully) Mike Vandekamp on their first head to head meeting as coaches. You can tune in on the local station at Q101 FM in Merritt or online at Q101.ca

Cents Bounce Back and Tame the Grizzlies

Truth be told, the Grizzlies were already quite tamed, but they got a little ferocious tonight and gave the Cents all they could handle. But it was a big, and you have to say almost mandatory bounceback after a devastating finish to the game in Alberni Valley which saw Merritt's winning streak end at 7:

• the first period went just as anticipated, but the rest of the game did not. In the opening 20 minutes, Merritt came out looking like a determined bunch, and they took it to the Grizzlies who were playing extremely shorthanded (only 3 lines, which included 4 AP's, and 5 defensemen, one of whom is actually a forward). The Cents peppered the Grizzlies netminder Garrett Rockafellow with all sorts of shots, as planned, and had some grade A scoring chances, but he stood tall and got some help from his dmen at key times to keep the game scoreless. The Cents just couldn't finish

• Tyler Steel wasn't overly busy in the first period, but out of 6 shots, he made 2-3 high quality stops

• just when it looked like the Cents effort would be all for not, we saw a bit of justice from the night before. The Bulldogs scored their game winner with 3 seconds left in the game, and this time Regan Soquila led a quick, late rush into the offensive zone and set up Mancuso for a slap shot between the 2 faceoff circles, which went glove side, post and in, for his first career BCHL goal, and also came with just 3 seconds left on the clock. This was a huge one to make Merritt feel rewarded for their 1st period efforts

• unlike the night before where Merritt got better as the game wore on, the opposite seemed to be true in this game. The Cents didn't come out of the gate in 2nd with nearly as much energy as the 1st, and the Grizzlies seemed to gain some momentum after a few strong shifts. After failing to convert on a dangerous-looking (and red-hot) power play, the Grizzlies converted just seconds later on a nifty 3-way passing playing between Smith, Kaiser and Hansen, who finished the play off with a nifty deke past Steel at the top of the crease

• surprisingly, the Grizzlies never really had a physical let-down, and didn't show the fatigue that you would expect from a team playing with only 2/3 of a roster. They saw an opportunity to end a 6 game losing streak and they pushed hard, as the two teams traded chances but both goaltenders were solid again

• suddenly, when they were needed to make a statement, the big boys broke through once again. Stack and Brears executed a perfect give and go on a 2 on 1, and Brears finished it off to give Merritt a 2-1 lead through 40 minutes

• the 3rd period was much like the 2nd... the Grizzlies seemed determined to come back and make a game of it, but Tyler Steel was excellent between the pipes and forced into making a few too many "big" stops for anyone's liking I'm sure (both in the 2nd and 3rd period)

• with Victoria on a power play and a chance to tie, Regan Soquila copied Evan Stack from the night before by cutting wide around the defense on the left wing, and he slid a backhander through the legs of Rockafellow for Merritt's FIRST shorthanded goal of the season (they were the last team to score one), and what wound up being a real momentum changer

• despite the turn of events, the Grizzlies still didn't give up and had some good shifts in the Merritt zone, but the Centennials were determined to wind down the clock and they did so rather effectively. 

• The Grizzlies got a late power play to make things interesting, but a high sticking penalty of their own would end that power play just halfway through. Coach Victor Gervais  decided to pull the goaltender with just over 2 minutes left and an offensive zone face-off to go 5 on 4, and although the Centennials had numerous chances on the yawning cage that they couldn't bury, they would finally break through with just seconds left in their "power play"... Lamont stole the puck at the Grizzlies blue line and had a clear lane to the goal down the right wing on what was a partial 2 on 1. But instead of firing the puck in himself, he made a very unselfish (and I would say risky) move by dishing it across to Chad Brears (lines were juggled a bit in the 3rd to get the Cents going) who was able to bury his 2nd, and with that goal re-take the team lead in goals with 21. Brears finished with 2 goals and an assist on the night

• the late empty net tally was also (barely) on the power play, which allowed Merritt to go 1 for 3 on the power play and continue their streak of consecutive games with power play goals to 6. Their perfect night on the PK now has them 62 for 68 on the PK over the last 18 games (91.2%!!!!!!)

• It looked at times as if the Centennials were playing down to their competition tonight, and Luke Pierce made it clear on the postgame show that he wasn't happy with a lot of the performances from individual guys who need to step up... the big line certainly did that again though, for a 3rd straight game, and they were dominant during most shifts that they were out there for