The Salmon Arm Silverbacks delivered a solid performance in their regular season home opener as they shut out the Vernon Vipers, who have yet to see a win.
The 4-0 game started out scoreless in the first frame, before Silverbacks captain Maddux Martin lit up the board within the first minute of the second, with Riley Ashe and Patrick Raftery adding assists. Though the Vipers successfully killed a penalty soon after, they were unable to capitalize on two subsequent power plays, allowing Salmon Arm to keep their edge.
The 'Backs doubled that lead early in the second when Caleb Mahar added an insurance goal, assisted by Tanner Walos, with Liam Bursaw potting another mid-frame off passes from Payton Nelson and Ben MacBeath. In a repeat of the first, Martin, Ashe and Raftery teamed up again with the former's second of the night to clinch the win.
Despite the loss, Vernon goalie Marko Bilic managed to stop 28 of 32 shots on net, while Salmon Arm's Ryan Grout stopped all 20 fired at him.
The game dropped the Vipers to 0-4-1-0 while the Silverbacks advanced to 3-1-1-0, who will now host their second home game tonight, Saturday, Oct. 5, as they host the Okotoks Oilers at Rogers Rink with the puck drop at 6 p.m.