Merritt Bantam Reps:

I received this email this morning from Shane Sanderson, the coach of the Merritt Bantam Rep team:

The Bantam Rep Team only had one game this weekend and we beat Clearwater 12-2.

Nolan Prowel had a five goal game. Wow!
Zack Sanderson had two and Dallas Grismer-Voght also added a pair.
Bryce Dixon and Malik Miller notched singles.

Griffin Baillie got the win in goal.

Our boys have a real tough challenge next weekend when we play Kelowna. They
will be the team to beat.

Thanks guys,
Shane

Merritt vs. Langley 13-11-09:

Here's the recap of tonight's HUGE win against Langley from Merritt Centennials.com

Merritt, BC - November 13, 2009

Forward Daniel Chang scored his first career BC Hockey League goal Friday, helping the Merritt Centennials to a 4-3 overtime victory against the Langley Chiefs at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena.

Dustin Johnson, with two, and Jordan Soquila also scored for the Centennials (8-14-0-1).

Dennis Robertson, Brandon Thompson and Tim Daly replied for Langley (13-9-1-2).

Merritt goaltender Cole Holowenko stopped 41 shots, while Chiefs netminder Andrew Walsh turned aside 39.

The Centennials went 0-for-5 on the power play in the win while Langley was 1-for-5 with the man advantage. The Chiefs held a marginal 44-43 advantage over Merritt on the shot clock.

For the Cents, it's their first win of the season against an opponent from the Coastal Conference.

These two teams meet again Saturday night at the Langley Events Centre. It marks the first of five straight games on the road for the Centennials.

Former Centennial Salekin Signs with ECHL's Salmon Kings:

(Mike Salekin with the University of Alabama-Huntsville)

Former Cents defenceman Mike Salekin has returned to his home province after signing with the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL.

Here's the official release from the Kings:

Victoria, BC - The Victoria Salmon Kings, proud affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks and Manitoba Moose, announced today that they have signed defenseman Mike Salekin for the 2009-10 season.

The Castlegar, BC native joins the Salmon Kings after playing five games this season for the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs of the Central Hockey League (CHL) where he scored one goal and added 28 minutes in penalties.

The 6-0, 208 lb. defenseman spent the 2008-09 season in the ECHL split between the Reading Royals, Stockton Thunder, and Cincinnati Cyclones. Salekin began the year in Reading where he scored six points (2g-4a) in 10 games while tallying 22 minutes in penalties. Following a trade to Stockton, Salekin dressed for 12 games with the Thunder scoring two goals and accumulating 30 penalty minutes. A second trade from Stockton to Cincinnati saw the blueliner finish the season with the Cyclones scoring 19 points (5g-14a) in 33 games while serving 96 minutes in penalties. Salekin also participated in all 11 of Cincinnati's Kelly Cup Playoff games this past spring accruing no points and 31 penalty minutes.

The 24-year-old Salekin began his professional career in 2007-08 with a full season in the ECHL with Reading. In 49 games played he amassed four goals and nine assists for 13 points with 183 penalty minutes. Salekin also dressed for 11 Kelly Cup playoff games with Reading in 2007-08 registering two points (1g-1a) and 34 minutes in penalties.

For his professional career, the defenseman has scored 41 points (14g-27a) in 109 games played while accruing 359 penalty minutes.

Prior to turning professional, Salekin spent three seasons in the NCAA with the University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH). In 99 career games as a Charger he scored 17 goals and assisted on 32 others for 49 points with 205 minutes in penalties. Salekin also helped lead the Chargers to a conference title in 2007 and a berth in the NCAA Championship tournament. During his time in the NCAA Salekin was named the team's best defenseman (2006-07), nominated to the All-Conference second team (2006-07), and was awarded the University's Bronze Scholar award (2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06).

Before joining the UAH Salekin spent two seasons (2001-02 and 2002-03) in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL) with the Merritt Centennials where he scored 79 points (31g-48a) in 104 total games with 395 penalty minutes. In his first year in Merritt, Salekin was selected as the team's rookie of the year, and was the runner-up in the BCHL's best first-year player award. The defensemen spent his second year as a Centennial's alternate captain, and led the BCHL in points per game by a defenseman.

Salekin began his junior hockey career in 2000-01 playing one game for the Western Hockey League's Kootenay Ice. The defenseman scored no goals with two penalty minutes.

Cents vs. Vernon 11-10-09:

I really apologize for the lack of posting lately, it hasn't been due to lack of trying, but having a 14 month old running around the house doesn't leave much time for working on the computer. Plus, I'm working on a MAJOR Cents alumni update that I hope to have posted before the end of the weekend.

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The Cents lost 6-1 to the Vipers tonight. Here's the recap from Merritt Centennials.com

Merritt, BC - November 10, 2009

Former Centennial Graeme Gordon made 28 saves for Vernon as the Vipers beat Merritt 6-1 in BC Hockey League action Tuesday at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena.

Rob Short had two goals to lead the way for the Vipers (22-1-0-0), while Dan Nycholat and Dylan Walchuk each had two points in the win.

Cory Kane, Jonathan Milhouse and Adam Thompson also scored for Vernon.

Mitch Jones, with his first in the BCHL, had the lone goal for the Cents (7-14-0-1) and Cole Holowenko made 37 saves in defeat for Merritt.

The Cents went 0-for-3 on the power play while Vernon was 3-for-6 with the man advantage.

The Centennials next action is Friday as they close out a five game home stand in the first half of a home-and-home series against Langley. Vernon's next game is at home against the Trail Smoke Eaters.

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The Cents have added 92-born defenceman Austin Baecker (pronounced Baker) to their roster and he made his debut in a Merritt uniform tonight against the Vipers. Baecker is an 11th round bantam draft pick of the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricans and played last season with the Okanagan Rockets of the BC Major Midget League where he posted 5 goals and 14 assists and 42 PIM in 40 games.

Cents add Wall, Recap vs. Vipers:

The Cents have added G Riley Wall (89) as an affiliate player for tonight's game in Penticton.

Wall has played the last two seasons in the KIJHL, one with the Chase Chiefs and one with the Sicamous Eagles. In 71 career starts, the Kamloops product has a record of 35-34 and a 3.31 GAA.

At this point, I don't know if Wall will get the start tonight or if he'll back up Cole Holowenko, who dressed last night as the back-up to Cameron Dagg. I also don't know if this means Dagg is on his way back to Columbia Valley or if he'll be dressed tonight. Either way, the Centennials face another outing where they'll have an affiliate goaltender as either the starter or the back-up as both Keith Hamilton and Holowenko recover from injury/illness.

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As for last night's game against Vernon, knowing how sick the Centennials were heading into the game (and still might be right now, they put up a very strong effort all things considered. If not for two sets of quick goals in the first period to give the Vipers a 4-0 lead, this game could have had a much closer result. The Cents and Vernon had a tied second period as each team scored just one goal and in a wild third period the goals were 5-3.

There a lot of positives for the Cents coming out of the game as they are the first team this season to score more than three goals against the Vipers in any game and also the first team to post more than 29 shots against the Vipers.

Here's the recap of the game from merrittcentennials.com

Merritt, BC - October 30, 2009

Mike Collins scored twice and added an assist as the Vernon Vipers topped the flu-ridden Merritt Centennials 10-4 in BC Hockey League action at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena Friday night.

Dylan Walchuk and Cole Ikkala scored twice, Darrin Robak, Rob Short, and Nick Amies also tallied for the Vipers (17-1-0-0).

Dustin Johnson had two goals for Merritt (6-11-0-1). Alex Valenti and Mitch Jones also added goals.

Affiliate player Cameron Dagg made 29 saves for the Centennials while Vernon netminder Blake Voth stopped 27 shots.

Merritt went 1-for-3 on the power play while the Vipers went 1-for-4. The game marked the first time this season any team has scored more than three goals on Vernon.

The Centennials return to the ice for a Halloween match-up Saturday night in Penticton while the Vipers are off until they head to Salmon Arm on Tuesday.

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Sorry I wasn't able to get a Tale of the Tape posted yesterday, but vipersdiehadfan has both a great preview and recap of the game on his blog.

I'll try to get a Tale of the Tape posted for tonight and tomorrow afternoon's games, but no guarantees.

Merritt & Vernon WILL play:

I received word from Centennials GM Tyler Forsythe this evening that tomorrow's game between Merritt and Vernon will go ahead as scheduled at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. 17 Cents players have been on antibiotics since yesterday and Tyler told me that a number of them have made significant improvements in their health and although not close to 100%, they will be able to play against the Vipers. Despite that, Merritt will have two additional affiliate players in their lineup.

"Tale of the Tape" will be posted tomorrow.

Merritt vs. Vernon in jeopardy:

First off, I have heard the rumours about tomorrow's game between the Cents and Vipers being postponed and there is a very real chance that could happen. A number of the Centennials players are very sick and pretty much the entire team went to the doctor's yesterday to be checked out. I can't confirm it, but have also heard that a number of Vipers players are sick as well. I would hope that the league would keep the best interest of the players in mind here and reschedule this game for later in the season if neither team has a lineup healthy enough to play. The health and well-being of all involved is much more important than wins or losses.

I had the chance to speak with Cents head coach Dylan Forsythe prior to practice today. Here's what he had to say:

Cents Head Coach Dylan Forsythe

Click here to download

All audio property of Merritt Broadcasting Ltd.

I'll have the usual "Tale of the Tape" posted tomorrow.