Vees score road victory over Merritt

The Penticton Vees just keep finding ways to beat the Merritt Centennials.

Michael Campoli scored the winner with 3:46 to play as the Vees rallied to beat the Cents 3-2 in BCHL action on Friday at the Nicola Valley Arena.

Though they were all close battles, the Vees swept the six-game season series. Wyatt Sloboshan tied the game early in the period and Taylor Ward also scored as the Vees overcame a 2-0 deficit and moved back into a first-place tie with the Vernon Vipers in the Interior Division.

James Miller had two assists for the Vees (32-10-2-3), who still have three games in hand on Vernon and can take over sole possession of first with a win over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks tonight at 7 p.m. at Shaw Centre. Vernon is idle until next Friday.

Nicolas Wicks and Colton Gerlib scored for Merritt (18-24-4-1), who are in last place in the Interior but still comfortably in a playoff spot.

Adam Scheel made 29 saves for the Vees, while Jacob Berger stopped 26 shots for Merritt.

The Centennials pounced on a strange bounce off a stanchion to grab the lead just 17 seconds in, with Wicks connecting.

Gerlib made it 2-0 at 10:07 but Ward got a vital goal for the Vees with 34 seconds left in the period. Miller picked up the lone helper.

The second period was scoreless, though the Cents squandered a big chance with a two-man advantage for 1:10.

Sloboshan tied the game at 3:25 of the third with just one second left on a power play. Owen Sillinger and Campoli earned assists.

Campoli got the go-ahead goal as he swatted in his own rebound after walking down the slot unmolested. Sloboshan and Miller had the helpers.

Merritt couldn’t get Berger to the bench until the dying seconds and had no time to set up a decent chance to tie it.

The Vees and Vernon stayed one point ahead of the Wenatchee Wild, who beat visiting Coquitlam 7-3 on Friday. The Wild host Langley tonight.

Silverbacks 5 Warriors 4: Trevor Adams scored with 9:16 to play as Salmon Arm won its seventh straight with a home-ice win over West Kelowna.

Hudson Schandor scored twice and Brandon Whistle and Rhett Kingston also clicked for the Silverbacks (2223-3-1), who edged within two points of fifth-place West Kelowna in the Interior.

RJ Murphy, with two, Parm Dhaliwal and Chase Stevenson replied for the Warriors (24-23-1-1), who were outshot 42-28.

The Warriors host Merritt tonight at 7 p.m. at Royal LePage Place.