ALBERNI VALLEY 2
VICTORIA 0
(Series tied 1-1)
The Victoria Grizzlies know they let a solid opportunity get away from them on Saturday night.
Jarred Wilson鈥檚 power-play goal early in the third period and Chase Paylor鈥檚 empty-net goal gave the Alberni Valley Bulldogs a 2-0 win at Weyerhaeuser Arena to even the best-of-five Island Division final series 1-1.
Game 3 goes Monday night at 7:15 p.m. at Bear Mountain Arena and Game 4 reverts back to Alberni on Tuesday. If necessary, Game 5 is set for Wednesday back in Victoria.
Goaltender Jay Deo made 32 saves for the Bulldogs, who were snarly, especially on the penalty kill as they kept the Grizzlies off the scoreboard in a very physical affair.
It was a scoreless opening period of play as the Grizzlies outshot the Bulldogs 12-11 and couldn鈥檛 cash in on three power-play chances. Not much changed in the second frame as the teams went to the dressing rooms still looking for the game鈥檚 first goal.
Shots were tight, 12 each in the second, before the Bulldogs turned the heat up in the third with four of their six power-play opportunities.
It took just 17 seconds of the final frame to finally get that goal on Wilson鈥檚 power-play tally with Stefan Nicholishen in the penalty box for hooking.
Victoria鈥檚 power play finished the night 0-for-6 and Brady Rouleau stopped 37 of 38 shots he faced in the Grizzlies鈥� net.
The visitors knew they had a great chance to grab a stranglehold on the series, a win allowing them to wrap it up at home on Monday.
鈥淭hat game is huge because then we have a chance in the next three to get that one big win, so that would be massive,鈥� Leo Fitzgerald said late Friday night after Victoria鈥檚 3-2 initial victory. 鈥淭o come back home with a chance to win it would be great.鈥�
There鈥檒l be no such thing now. The two teams have played each other tight all season, with six games going to overtime.
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