Splitting wins in a home and home series against the Langley Chiefs wasn’t good enough to propel the Merritt Centennials past two Cariboo teams.

After an impressive come-from-behind overtime win against the Chiefs last Friday night at home, the Cents couldn’t break a 3-3 tie in the third period of Saturday’s rematch in Langley.

The Cents remain in seventh place in the interior conference of the BCHL behind the elusive Cariboo teams, the Quesnel Millionaires (sixth) and Prince George Spruce Kings (fifth).

Rookie forward Daniel Chang scored the game winning goal to give the Cents a 4-3 victory in overtime Friday night before 700 fans at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena.

“Soquila deked one guy out and I came screaming across the blue line and he threw it across to me and I took a one timer,” said assistant captain Steve Tresierra.

“The goalie couldn’t find it and Chang managed to crash the net and pop it in.”

Tresierra and his defensive crew have curtailed the opposition’s offensive prowess of late, which has naturally resulted in a lower goals against.

The Cents did allow 44 shots Friday night, 41 of which were stopped by Cole Holowenko, but the Cents matched them with 43 of their own shots on Chiefs goaltender Andrew Walsh.

Forward Dustin Johnson picked up the game’s first start with his two-goal night that rallied the team after being down 3-1 at the start of the third period.

“The biggest part of that win was we didn’t quit,” said assistant coach Tyler Forsythe.

“They were really rooting and helping each other out on the bench and that carries on to the ice.”

Game two of the series was like a lot of the Cents’ loses this season; a collapse in the third period.

“It was 3-3 going into the third and we really felt there was a bad call made by the ref on Langley’s third goal - that it should’ve been goaltender interference,” said Forsythe.

“The night before we wanted it more,” said Tresierra.

“We didn’t capitalize on a lot of our opportunities, whereas Langley did and we hit a couple of posts.”

As the Cents continue to struggle on the road, they won’t get away from the asphalt this week as they embark on their longest road trip of the season on Vancouver Island.

The Cents will play four games in five days, which began last night in Nanaimo. They face last place Cowichan Valley on Friday, Victoria on Saturday, and Alberni Valley Sunday.

“Our penalty kill has gotten a lot better the last five or six games,” says Forsythe.

“Our powerplay hasn’t been performing at peak to say the least, so we’ve been working on that a lot and hopefully that will come through over on the island.”

The Cents will be without defenseman Ryne Bodger, who is still recovering from the flu, and forward Alex Valenti, who is still suffering from a lower body injury. Forward Kevin Philp will also be out of the lineup indefinitely. Forsythe says he has taken a leave of absence. Rookie Austin Baecker has been added to the Cents lineup.

The Cents play their next home game Nov. 26 against last place Williams Lake, their first meeting of the season.