The Island Division-leading Victoria Grizzlies, with five players 鈥� Alex Newhook, Alex Campbell, Riley Hughes, Carter Berger and Jeremie Bucheler 鈥� soon to depart for tryout camp for Team sa国际传媒 West that will play in the World Junior A Challenge 鈥� know every other team in the sa国际传媒 Hockey League will be gunning for them now, bringing nothing short of their 鈥楢鈥� game to every contest.
The Cowichan Valley Capitals did just that Wednesday night at the Island Savings Centre. The Capitals, mired in last place in the Island Division, came flying out of the gate and took a 2-0 lead after one period en route to beating the Grizzlies 7-4.
The Capitals (7-17-4-1) used two power-play goals and three empty-net markers to help pave the way to victory over the Grizzlies, who fall to 19-9-0-1.
Doug Scott and David Melaragni beat Grizzlies netminder Kyle Dumba in the first period, but Marty Westhaver gave Victoria some life, beating Jack Grant in the Cowichan goal midway through the second.
Luc Wilson鈥檚 power-play goal three minutes after Westhaver鈥檚 marker gave the Capitals some breathing room before Preston Brodziak put Cowichan up 4-1 late in the second.
The desperate Grizzlies pulled the goalie with almost four minutes left in the third, and it worked out, at first. Berger scored with 3:40 remaining to make it a two-goal game, but Cowichan scored two empty-netters in the next minute to ice it. Campbell with a minute left and Darwin Lakoduc with 14 seconds remaining, had the other Victoria goals.
Dumba finished with 43 saves on the night, while Grant made 40 stops for the Capitals.
The Grizzlies now prepare for weekend home games, Friday against the Coquitlam Express and Sunday afternoon against the West Kelowna Warriors.
