Silverbacks Force Game Seven

By Kelly Sharp

     Silverbacks edge Spruce Kings 4-3 in overtime before packed PG Coliseum

Oh baby, load up the bus get ready for game seven!  

The Salmon Arm Silverbacks could not hold a 3-1 third period lead with less than 7 minutes left in regulation, but Matt Grassi scored at 5:20 of overtime as the Salmon Arm Silverbacks beat the Prince George Spruce Kings 4-3 before 1984 at the Coliseum to even the-best-of seven series 3-3.

“Everybody yelled rush rush,” Salmon Arm defenseman Matt Grassi said  when he skated in over the Kings blueline following  what seemed like a minute and a half of the ‘Backs dominating inside the Prince George zone.

“I didn’t hear the whistle for off-side and I saw the d-man go down and I just wired it on net and luckily it went through his legs and beat the goalie (Joe Rodwell) shortside.”

Tony Mosey’s second power play goal of the night early in the third period appeared to be the critical blow for the Kings, but Chris Shudo’s power play goal off a goalmouth scramble pulled Prince George within one.  The standing-room only crowd watched the Kings take a late minor penalty and for many curtail thoughts of a comeback. Hold everything; cue Chris Shudo who watched the puck bounce off him past Salmon Arm goalie Scott Gudmanson. A short-handed goal, Shudo’s third tally of the night forced overtime with 1:28 left in regulation – rocking the Coliseum.

“The pressure was on us,” Kings head coach Ed Dempsey said. “They played better as a group, although we had some strong individual efforts.”

“We didn’t do the little things right we worked hard, but didn’t work smart, we gave them too much.”

The eight hour bus ride followed for the Spruce Kings and Silverbacks who face-off in game seven tonight in Salmon Arm.

“We don’t have much time to regroup,” said Dempsey.

“The pressure pendulum maybe switches to them (the Kings) a little bit because they failed to get it done in game six," said Silverbacks head coach Ty Davidson.

Four of the six games in the series have been won by the road team. The team that scored the first goal has won every game in the BCHL Interior Conference quarterfinal,

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