The birthday boy played hero as the West Kelowna Warriors beat the Merritt Centennials on Friday night.

In a busy first period in which both teams recorded 15 shots on net, it was only 1-0 Warriors at the end of the frame. Landen Hilditch scored his second goal of the season at the 6:10 mark, assisted by Jack Farrell and Michael Salandra.

However, the Centennials exploded for three consecutive goals to start the second period. Charles-Thomas Larochelle, Michael Felsing, and Jaxson Murray all scored in a 5:23 span to give Merritt a 3-1 lead.

West Kelowna brought the game within one when Callum Hughes scored his eighth of the season to make it 3-2.

In the third period, the Warriors quickly knotted the game up again when Johannes Løkkeberg scored on the powerplay, his eighth goal of the season, making it 3-3.

Kiernan Poulin gave Merritt the 4-3 lead at the 7:32 mark when he scored his fourth goal of the year.

Coming down to the wire, birthday boy Felix Caron scored his team-leading 14th goal of the season at the 18:26 mark to tie the game 4-4 and force overtime.

In the extra frame, it was Caron again, finding the back of the net for the 15th time this year and giving the Warriors their fourth win in a row.

OT Winner in Merritt! 🚨 |

91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ” BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague)

On top of Caron91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s two-goal night, Hilditch had a three-point night (goal, two assists), while Farrell and Salandra and Dylan Brooks each collected two assists.

Matthew Dellarusso made 27 saves in the win.

The Warriors remain third in the BCHL91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s Interior Division with a 14-6-2-0 record, one point behind Vernon.

Saturday night the Warriors are back at Royal LePage Place looking for their fifth win in a row. They welcome the Salmon Arm Silverbacks to town, who sit one point behind the Warriors. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.

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