Skip to content

Salmon Arm Silverbacks defeat Prince George 4-3 thanks to Serdachny hat-trick

The Silverbacks and Spruce Kings were in Salmon Arm for BCHL action Friday night
27571042_web1_211222-SAA-Backs-Spruce-Kings-55_1
Salmon Arm Silverbacks forward Noah Serdachny scored 3 goals in a 4-3 win over the Prince George Spruce Kings at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm on Dec. 17, 2021. (Contributed)

By Blake Friars, Contributor

Noah Serdachny scored a shorthanded goal to complete his hat-trick, Simon Tassy chipped in with a goal and two assists and Owen Say stopped 19 of 22 shots to help propel the Salmon Arm Silverbacks to a 4-3 win over the Prince George Spruce Kings inside the Shaw Centre on Dec. 17.

The visitors got on the scoreboard first via the power play in the opening 20 minutes. Aidan Lindblad got called for charging and it was Austin Fraser who took advantage. He found himself open in front of the net and he ripped it past the glove of Silverbacks goaltender Owen Say to make it 1-0.

Shortly after, the Silverbacks got a power play but couldn’t get set up and failed to convert. They got a second one four minutes later when defenceman Lucas Matta drew a holding minor. The Silverbacks had a couple of grade-A chances, but Spruce Kings goaltender Aaron Trotter was equal to the task.

In the middle frame, the Backs got their fair share of scoring chances. The best came off the British Columbia Hockey League-leading goal scorer Simon Tassy’s stick when he was awarded a rare penalty shot. Tassy tried his signature move to the backhand, but Trotter somehow kicked up his right pad to keep it tied.

The Spruce Kings used that as momentum and they added another powerplay goal to make it 2-0; Kolten Cousins jammed home a puck past Say for his 9th of the season. As the Silverbacks have all season long, they responded quickly. Santa Juana fed Serdachny and he jammed it home to cut the deficit in half.

In the third period, with the Backs down by a goal, they got a golden opportunity when Nathan Mackie was checked from behind by Austin Fraser, resulting in a five-minute major power play. While the Backs were on that powerplay, Spruce Kings captain Kolten Cousins was called for delay of game for skating with the puck in his equipment.

The Silverbacks had two minutes of 5-on-3 time to try and tie the game. With their top unit on the ice, Ladyman directed a shot at the net that was tipped by Tassy up and over the blocker to tie the game at two. It was Tassy’s 22nd of the season.

Late in the third period, while the Silverbacks were on another power play, Noah Serdachny received a pass from Tassy and he beat Trotter five-hole to give the Backs their first lead of the game. But the Backs weren’t done there. Just over a minute later, a Spruce Kings defender coughed up the puck and Serdachny was gifted a goal to cap off his hat-trick and give the Silverbacks a 4-2 lead. The goal was his 13th of the season.

The Spruce Kings did get a goal late in the third with their goaltender out but that would be as close as they came, as the Backs held on for a come-from-behind 4-3 victory. The Backs will be off until December 29 and head into the Christmas break on a high note. They head into the break with a 19-4-1 record.

Read more: ‘This is who we are’: Canoe residents proud to hold annual ‘Fill the Canoe’ food drive


Do you have something else we should report on? Email: zachary.roman@saobserver.net
Like us on Facebook and subscribe to our daily newsletter.