The Prince George Spruce Kings have reached the midway mark in the B.C. Hockey League season and their 4-3 win over the Merritt Centennials gave them a reason to celebrate the occasion Monday in the Chilliwack pod.
Andrew Seaman scored team-leading seventh and eighth goals in the second period to stake the Kings to a 4-1 lead and they survived a third-period push by the Cents to keep their perfect record intact against Merritt this season. Seaman, a 21-year-old Union College recruit for next season, moved into a tie with Christian Buono atop the Kings’ scoring leaders’ list, each with 12 points.
Jordan Fairlie made 23 saves to improve his season record to 3-1, helping the Spruce Kings to their fifth-straight victory over the Cents.
Kolton Cousins and Nick Rheaume, on a second-period Prince George power play, also scored for the Kings. Rowan Miller picked up two assists. Wyatt Marlow, in the first period, and Matteo Pecchia and Josh Olson, with third-period goals, scored for the Cents, who outshot Prince George 13-9 in the final period.
Merritt goalie Josh Dias made 33 saves as his team was outshot in the game 37-26.
Both teams finished 1-for-4 on the power play.
The win pulled the Spruce Kings (6-3-0-1-0) to within a point of the pod-leading Chilliwack Chiefs (7-3-0-0-0). Merritt (2-8-0-0-0) remained third in the three-team Chilliwack pod.
The Kings have a chance to climb back into first place when they meet the Chiefs on Wednesday. Game time is 5 p.m.
