A tight decision at the Nicola Valley Arena went Merritt’s way, as the Centennials trumped Westside on Wednesday night.
Forward Chad Brears scored both of Merritt’s goals on the powerplay, as the Cents went 2/9 on the man advantage and squeaked out a 2-1 victory.
Defenceman Ben Betker scored the lone Westside goal when he jammed in a Shawn Hochhausen centring pass while the teams played 4-on-4.
The Warriors got a third star showing from goaltender Dwayne Rodrigue, but couldn’t beat Tyler Steel late in the game when pushing for the equalizer. Tyler Steel stopped all but one of the 31 shots he faced, as the 2nd-place Centennials continue to play stingy defence.
Playing his third game as a Warrior, Mathew Berry-Lamontagna played a key role on the Westside blue line. The former Prince Albert Raider admits he is feeling more confident rushing the puck after a few games with his new team, but says the small ice surface in Merritt was a pivotal factor in the game.
“They really took advantage of that” said Berry afterwards, adding “shooting pucks on net and working us down low, we didn’t do that as much as we should have.”
The Centennials have now won seven straight hockey games, while the Warriors kick off a difficult stretch with a defeat. The Warriors will have Thursday off, before games Friday (in Penticton), Saturday (vs. Vernon) and Sunday (in Chilliwack).
Visit The General’s Report for ongoing coverage of the Westside Warriors.
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