PHOTO: Garrett James
CHILLIWACK, BC – Goals from Kolton Cousins, Christian Buono, and Ben LeFranc, and some great goaltending by Jordan Fairlie was the recipe for the Spruce Kings to squeak out their first win in the pod season with a 3-2 victory over the Merritt Centennials.
1st Period:
PG: At the 10:42 mark of the opening period, Max Borovinskiy did a lot of work driving the puck to the goal and Kolton Cousins was able to shove it home in front of the goal to give the Spruce Kings a 1-0 lead. Borovinskiy and Hunor Torzsok had the helpers on Cousins first in the pod season.
MER: At 17:32 of the frame, Jerzy Orchard took the puck to the right circle and went top shelf on Jordan Fairlie to tie the game up at one. Orchards first in the pod came from McLean and Thurston at 17:32.
SHOTS:
6-5 PG
2nd Period ;
PG: On the man advantage, it was Borovinskiy and Carter Cochrane who set up Christian Buono at the right point and wristed one through traffic and past Josh Dias to give the Spruce Kings a 2-1 lead. Buono’s first came from Borovinskiy and Cochrane at 4:40.
PG: After the Spruce Kings killed back to back 5 on 3 Merritt power-plays, Ben Lefranc received a pass from Nick Rheaume at the right circle and fired it by Dias to give Prince George a two goal lead. LeFranc’s first BCHL goal came at 14:52 from Rheaume and Simon Labelle.
SHOTS:
12-12
3rd Period:
MER: On a 6 on 4 power-play in the dying minutes, the Centennials captain Zack Dallazana was able to shove the puck just barely over the goal line past Fairlie to put Merritt within one. Dallazanna’s first came from Ben Ward at 18:54.
SHOTS:
12-10 PG
—–
FINAL SCORE:
MER 2 PG 3
SHOTS:
MER 28 PG 30
MER: Josh Dias 25 Saves (0-1)
PG: Jordan Fairlie (1-0)
MER Power-Play: 0/4
PG Power-Play: 1/6
3 STARS:
- Max Borovinskiy (PG 2 A)
- Jordan Fairlie (PG 26 SV)
- Kolton Cousins (PG 1 G)
FORTIS BC ENERGY PLAYER OF THE GAME: Colton Cameron
