Merritt Sweeps Season Series

2                                        Final Score                                        5
Hovde, Lee	Goal Scorers	Fidanza, O’Shaughnessy, Grannary, Lipon, Court
32	Total Shots	35
12	1st Period Shots	10
9	2nd Period Shots	13
11	3rd Period Shots	12
1 for 6	Power Play	0 for 2
	3rd Star	Zach Court
Adam Burnett	2nd Star
	1st Star	Colin Grannary
11-33-1-3	Current Record	17-26-1-4

Following an 8-0 loss to the Chilliwack Chiefs on Thursday, Prince George responded with improved play, but the same result.

The Merritt Centennials came into town as the Spruce Kings played their first game in the newly re-named Rolling Mix Concrete Arena. The Cents would score the first two goals of the game, and the final two as they skated to a 5-2 win over Prince George.

After being pulled in two of his last three starts, Liam McCloskey got off to a hot start stopping leading scorer Colin Grannary in tight on a breakaway, and then moments later turned away Grannary again; this time on a two-on-one. There was a little pushing and shoving after the whistle, which led to a Spruce Kings power play. The home team drew three man advantages in the first, but were unable to score which was the Turning Point of the game.

Just before the halfway mark of the period, Nick Fidanza was able to steal the puck in the corner, and cut out front to beat an unsuspecting McCloskey for the first goal of the game.

In the second it was Merritt doubling their lead as Mark O’Shaughnessy took a point shot that was kicked out by McCloskey, but the puck bounced into the net. 1:16 later it was Prince Geoge as Cooper Prechel dumped the puck in, and chased after it where Jarod Hovde was able to pounce on the rebound and score for 5^th goal of the year, and 5^th in his last 18 games. The assist for Prechel ended an 18 game pointless drought. Minutes after, Colin Grannary stole the puck at the blue line, and walked down for a slap shot to beat McCloskey and restore his team’s 3-1 lead.

With his second goal of the season, Chong Lee made things interesting in the 3^rd while on a 5-on-3 power play. The Spruce Kings had more time on that man advantage, but were unable to capitalize. Then with Prince George pressing for the equalizer, Merritt was able to move out on a 3-on-1, and Brett Jewell passed the puck cross ice for Mitch Lipon who scored to seal the game with less than two minutes remaining. Zach Court would add an empty net to finish the game at 5-2.

Chiefs Look to Sweep Season Series

11-31-1-3	Record	27-10-2-4
107 (17th)	Goals For	170 (7th)
201 (16th)	Goals Against	112 (3rd)
17.1% (13th)	Power Play	19.7% (9th)
76.7% (14th)	Penalty Kill	83.1% (5th)

Venue: Prince George Coliseum

Game Time: Thursday @ 7pm

Season Series:  5-0 for Chilliwack

 Game Overview:

Like Langley, playing Chilliwack has not been pleasant for the Spruce Kings this season. In five games they have been outscored 28-5, and 13-4 while on home ice. The latest setback came in the final home game of December at the “Drop Your Gloves and Sock it to Em” event. The Chiefs scored five goals in the first, and sailed to 7-1 win with Corey Hoffman scoring the lone PG goal. In the team’s last meeting things were much closer, and the Spruce Kings actually led at one point in the second period. Again the Chiefs would score five unanswered to win 7-3, but the Spruce Kings showed that they can skate with one of the elite teams in the league. Chilliwack enters the Coliseum leading the Mainland Division by seven points while ranking in the top tean for goals for/against and powerplay/penalty kill

Prince George Home Record: 6-13-0-1

Spruce Kings Leading Scorer: Matt Stief 4 goals – 27 assists -31 points

Chilliwack Record: 9-8-2-2

Chiefs Leading Scorer: Jordan Kawaguchi 28 goals – 27 assists – 55 points

Player to watch:

Spruce Kings: He picked up an assist against Langley last weekend, but Alex Stoley has just two points in his last 16 games following a four game point streak. The California native has already exceed his point totals from last season, and should look to pump that number up with a number of games at home remaining. Connor Logan has seemed like a new man in the last few weeks. The forward had a three game point streak (his longest of the season) snapped on Friday against Langley, but seems to have a lot more bounce in his step. Logan has also been very reliant on not going to box, with just six penalty minutes all season. That’s second amongst players with at least eight games under their belt.

Chiefs: Coming back to play in Prince George, Rylan Bechtel should have an interesting welcoming. The 20 year old defencemen had six points in ten points before leaving the team, and was picked up by Chilliwack right at the trade deadline. He had an own goal in that game, as well as an assist for his first proper point with his new team. In his last three games Bechtel has picked up an additional three points to put him at four points in four games with the Chiefs. Vimal Sukumaran had a hat trick in his last visit to the Coliseum, and the forward that is tied for second in the league with eight game winning goals will look to continue that. In the last four games against Prince George he has four goals and one assist.

Broadcast Info: For all games, you can listen to the action on Mixlr

 or watch live at BCHL FASTHockey

Rivermen Find Revenge in the Castle

4                                    Final Score 2OT                                    5
Tilsley, Ponak, Logan, Hovde	Goal Scorers	Kaufman, Crookshank, Capstick, O’Neill, White
42	Total Shots	32
10	1st Period Shots	9
12	2nd Period Shots	12
14	3rd Period Shots	3
6	1st OT	2
0	2nd OT	5
0 for 2	Power Play	1 for 5
Adam Brunett	3rd Star
Jarod Hovde	2nd Star
	1st Star	Justin Fregona
11-30-1-3	Current Record	24-17-1-1

            The Spruce Kings entered the weekend having lost all four prior games to the Langley Rivermen. They were outscored 21-3 in that time, including the most recent setback coming as a 7-1 loss in the second game back after the Christmas break. The last time the Rivermen came to Prince George, it was a 3-2 loss in last year’s playoffs, where Prince George won Game 6 to move onto the 2^nd round.

            In the three games he had played versus PG, Bo Didur had just two goals heading in on for the game on Thursday night. Prince George finally managed to beat the West Van native four times, although none of the goals were quite highlight reels. Two were head turners though, as PG scored twice in the first period by taking shots off the back boards that deflected, then bounced off Didur’s left heel and in.

Langley would leave the period though leading by one, as they got goals from Kaufman just 1:20 in, a goal from Angus Crookshank in his first ever BCHL shift, and a power play goal for Alec Capstick that beat Liam McCloskey on the power play for his first of the season.

The first three goals for the Langley Rivermen came in the first 10 minutes on six shots, so the Spruce Kings put Joseph McLeod in following the first BCHL ten minute timeout. The Kelowna native was strong in his second game coming on as a reliever vs the Rivermen, stopping 24 of 26 shots

In the second, it was Prince George taking control, as Connor Logan scored just 1:34 in on a wrap around for his fourth goal of the season tying the game at three. Langley would respond quickly though, as Jason O’Neill walked down the left side following a turnover, and roofed the puck top left corner to retake the Langley lead.

Turning Point: With under minutes left in the game, McLeod made a breakaway save that would keep his side within a goal.

            Despite outshooting Langley 14-3 in the third, PG couldn’t beat Didur, and the game would head to overtime. The Spruce Kings again outshot Langley 6-2 in the first period of overtime, but neither team could score while 4-on-4. In the second frame while 3-on-3, Torrin White took a feed from Justin Fregona, and walked down on the breakaway to beat McLeod and take the 5-4 win.