The depth and prestige of the Penticton Vees hockey club proved too much for the small market Merritt Centennials to handle during the first round of BCHL playoffs this week.

The Cents fought hard in games one and two in Penticton, losing 4-2 Friday and 3-1 Saturday, but the Vees exploited the Centennials' special teams, holding them at bay when the Cents were on the powerplay and scoring several powerplay goals of their own throughout the series.

The Cents came into game three Monday night in Merritt with the hopes of turning things around.

The Cents, backstopped by goaltender Keith Hamilton, who played solid in the first two games, held the Vees in check early but found themselves behind 3-1 going into the third period.

The third period was very much the same story as many of the Cents games this year; not playing a full 60 minutes. The Vees owned the third and popped in three more goals to edge the Cents 6-2.

The Vees outshot the Cents 46-29. Hamilton was pulled while his opponent at the other end, Sean Bonar, played solid stopping several Centennials scoring chances.

Although the Cents were strong on the forecheck, they seemed to collapse in their own end.

The game got ugly towards the end of the game with several fisticuffs and angry fans dissatisfied with the refereeing.

The fans, just over 500 in each of the two home games, were rather quiet and didn't seem to create a playoff atmosphere. It just didn't feel like the playoffs at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena.

The following night, with pressure on the Cents to win to stay alive, was very much the same situation as game three only the Vees came out firing even more, scoring a total of 9 goals to beat the Cents 9-1 and ending their playoff run.

“I don't see that we played any differently,” said Cents forward Daniel Chang of game three and four.

“We still worked hard and we wanted it but bounces weren't going our way.”

After shaking hands with the Vees following the end of the series, Merritt fans saluted the Cents and four of their graduating players; Jordan Soquila, Ryne Bodger, Alex Valenti, and Lucas Daoust.

“You let them have the powerplay and they're going to capitalize,” said Soquila following game four.

“You make one small mistake and they capitalize.”

Centennials leading scorer Dustin Johnson, who has blossomed as a goal scorer in Merritt, says, “We put the pedal to the metal and we just ran out of gas.”

“I'm proud of every guy in that room.”

While it may be a tough loss for the Centennials and their fans to swallow, in retrospect, it was an accomplishment just making it to the playoffs after all the turmoil this season.

After three coaching changes and a rushed training camp, things really turned around for the Cents when Luke Pierce took over the bench and the Cents had a comfortable position in fifth place in the interior conference for much of the season.

“Our stated goal was fifth place and we fell short,” said Pierce.

“Give them credit, they are a very good team – some of the best guys I've seen at this level,” said Pierce of the Vees, the third best Junior A team in Canada.

Although the Cents will lose captain Soquila and three other veterans next season, Pierce hopes the boys will come back stronger next season.

“It's hopefully something that will stick with them over the summer and hopefully they'll be that much hungrier when they come back.

With some of the players already looking towards next season, Pierce's hopes just may come true.

“We're going to train hard and come back with a vengeance and show the league we mean business,” vowed Johnson.

The Cents will hold their spring evaluation camp April 2 in Merritt.