The Merritt Centennials roared in to a five game road-trip fuelled by a pair of wins on home ice under new head coach Luke Pierce. The first three-game leg of the trip took the Cents through the Cariboo in search of their first road win of the season.

The Cents faced Williams Lake Friday night. The Timberwolves are in sole possession of last place in the entire league.

The Cents had disposed of them on home ice 7 – 3 the week before, and were eager to keep there two game win streak alive, but were forced to wait over an hour past scheduled puck-drop as highway conditions forced the game officials to arrive late.

The teams battled through a scoreless first period before the Timberwolves opened scoring on the power play at 14:10 of the second period. Cents super-rookie Jeff Jones tied the game seconds later, but the Timberwolves regained the lead before the period was out, in an exchange of 3 goals in 81 seconds.

Cents Captain Jordan Soquila scored an unassisted marker to tie the game early in the third period, but Timberwolves defenseman Darren Tarasoff's powerplay marker extended the Timberwolves Lead to 3 – 2. The Cents evened the game at 3-3 on a power play goal by utility man Derek Hills, set up by Associate Player call-up Lucas Blinkhorn.

However, the Cents wouldn't make it to overtime as forward Daniel Chang took a cross-checking minor late in the third period, and Tarasoff again scored to put the Timberwolves ahead for good on their third man-advantage goal in seven chances.

Cents goalie, and Chilliwack Bruins prospect Cole Holowenko got the start Saturday night in Quesnel before being recalled to the Bruins in a back-up role for an undetermined amount of time. After allowing 5 goals on 15 shots through the first period Holowenko was quickly relieved by Keith Hamilton, who had turned aside 38 of 42 shots the night before in Williams Lake.

The Cents entered the second period down 5 – 1, and remained down by four goals 8 – 4 at the end of 2 periods. Keith Hamilton turned aside all 10 Millionaires shots in the final frame and the Cents scored 3 unanswered goals in the third to pull within one. Derek Hills scored the Cents fifth goal, and set up their sixth when he made a nifty foot pass to a streaking Alex Valenti who beat Millionaire's goalie Kirby Halcrow on a clear breakaway. With the Cents net empty, Hills nearly notched his third point of the third period but was unable to finish a quick pass in the slot. Despite fighting back from two separate four-goal deficits the Cents lost 8 – 7.

Hungry for their first road victory of the season the Cents took on Prince George in a Sunday matinee. Despite it being the teams' third game in three days they held the lead after one as Colton Sobchak extended his personal point streak to three games with a goal from Derek Hills and Stephen Wall.

Only 18 seconds in to the second period the Spruce Kings line of Sam Muchala, Brooks Robinson and Marcus Watson connected to tie the game. They would all factor in to the Spruce Kings next two goals as they scored four unanswered to open the second period and secure a 4 – 1 lead. But the resilient Centennials battled back to within one goal after Jordan Soquila scored on a penalty shot, and Stephen Wall continued his stellar play on this road trip with another scoring play with Derek Hills.

Wall and Hills set-up Colton Sobchak for his second goal of the game and the Cents had tied the game at 2:38 of the third period. Muchala, Watson and Brooks would hook up again to put the Spruce Kings ahead 5 – 4, but Sobchak would return the favour and set Derek Hills up at 18:20 of the third, and the Cents secured there first point of the trip sending the game to over time.

20 year-old Spruce Kings forward Justin Fillion ended the game in double overtime to extend the Cents road winless streak to 16 games, although the Cents managed to earn a single point in the loss. It was the Cents fourth straight one-goal road loss.

“One more bounce in anyone of those games and we'd come out on top.” Pierce Says. “Our captain and older players really stepped up and played quite well."

Cents Goalie Keith Hamilton who played all but one period of the three game trip turned aside 47 of 53 shots on the night (104 of 117 on the three game trip), and forward Colton Sobchak's three point performance earned him third star honours.
Streaking Cents Jordan Soquila and Derek Hills each have recorded points in five straight games, for nine and 11 points respectively.

After his first taste of defeat as head coach, and heading back on the road to take on Canada's top team, Cents bench boss and general manager Luke Pierce was upbeat saying, “It's going to take a close to perfect effort on our part (to win).

"They're a good team, but we mach up well. We have speed up front and mobile defense. They're cycling and puck possession lead to most of their goals. We've had success there early this year, and if we go in to the third with a lead we could come out with a win.”

Despite opening the scoring at 1:08 of the first period, the Cents would again lose, surrendering six unanswered goals to the Vipers for the third time this season. Derek Hills extended his point streak assisting on the Cents only goal of the game.

Captain Jordan Soquila pummeled the Vipers Brayden Pimm in a middleweight match-up late in the third after two Vipers converged to crush Cents forward Sylvan Harper. Frustrations boiled over at the end of the game, and will likely percolate until the Cents next chance to bump the road slump Friday December 11th in Trail. They then return home Tuesday December 15th to face the Victoria Grizzlies. The Cents are10-7-0-0 at home, a better record than Trail, Quesnel and Prince George, the three teams they immediately trail.

After assuming head coach and general manager duties, Luke Pierce has been assisted by Maury Grant, who was involved with the Vipers organization on an advisory and coaching level for two seasons. He will remain behind the bench for the remainder of 2009, and on in to 2010 at some capacity.

Pierce says, “I like the position we're in going in to the trade deadline. We have four cards open and two twenty year-old spots open. I'm not afraid to add a few guys that will only be with us for a few months that could make us a contender.”

The Cents trail Trail by one point for the final playoff spot in the B.C.H.L. Interior Conference. Despite being winless on the road and losing nine of the past 11 games they sit only five points out of fifth spot. The team has not made the playoffs in two straight seasons but are guaranteed two home games if they earn a playoff birth.