Centennials Clip Vipers In 2nd Overtime:

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Centennials clip Vipers in 2nd overtime

by Don Klepp | Added 2010-09-21

In Vernon on Tuesday night, Jeff Smurchyk’s inch-perfect shot gave the Merritt Centennials a 5-4 win at 2:34 of the second overtime period.

As the teams played three-on-three, Smurchyk came over the blue line, veered to his left at the top of the left faceoff circle and beat Bryton Udy with a wrist shot that zipped just inside Udy’s left goal post.

The dramatic winner capped a seesaw battle that had its fair share of dramatic moments, including a penalty shot goal by Cents sniper, Dustin Johnson. His goal came at 16:52 of the third period, after referee Mike Boisvert had ruled that a Viper had closed his hand on a puck in the Viper goal crease.

The Johnson goal, his second of the game, gave the Centennials a 4-3 lead.

However, the Vipers responded with some late heroics of their own. With Udy on the bench for a sixth attacker, Kyle Murphy raced down the left wing and cut hard to the net. A battle ensued around Tyler Steel’s goal and Dylan Walchuk banged in the tying goal at 19:28.

The four-on-four action in the first overtime period resulted in two chances for each team. Udy and Steel, who had battled for the Viper backup role in training camp, easily thwarted those chances.

The Centennials can be thankful for a hot power play in this game. Playing at even strength, they generated only four scoring chances and no goals in the regulation three periods. Out shot 11 to 5 in the first period, they led 2-1 at the first intermission, thanks to power play markers by Regan Soquila and Dustin Johnson.

The Vipers had scored first, on a good line rush by the Walchuk line. Marcus Basara and David Robinson drew assists on Dylan Walchuk’s fourth goal of the season at 3:34.
The first Merritt goal, at 5:50, resulted from Steven Wall’s faceoff win in the Viper zone. Wall got the puck to Soquila, whose wrist shot through traffic beat Udy on the glove side. Johnson’s goal at 19:43 came when Johnson tried to pass the puck in front. He partially fanned on the attempt and the puck crossed the line in slow motion after deflecting off a Viper skate.

The Vipers then recorded the next two goals. On the power play, at 11:17 of the second, Steve Weinstein shot from the top of the left faceoff circle. The puck hit a Centennial and deflected slightly on its way past Tyler Steel.

Vernon went ahead at 3:53 of the third period when Marcus Basara tipped Dylan Walchuk’s shot.

The Vipers were unable to sustain their one goal lead. On their fourth power play of the game, the
Cents scored for the third time, at 6:44. Jeff Jones one-timed Dustin Johnson’s corner feed to knot the score at 3-3.

Game Notes:

• Dustin Johnson's three-point night (2+1) earned him first star honours. Dylan Walchuk, who also had 2+1, was second star. Jeff Jones (1+1) was third star.

• Max Vallis, David Robinson, and Marcus Basara each had two-point nights for their respective teams. Basara, a prolific scorer last year with the Telus Cup champion Notre Dame Hounds, scored his first BCHL goal.

• The Centennials, who had not beaten the Vipers in several years, won their first game of the 2010-11 season.

• The Centennials have now gone 8 for 18 with the man advantage in four road games this September, a sparkling .444 percentage.