Returning to the head coaching ranks on an interim basis after firing Mark Ferner earlier in the week, Davidson guided the 鈥橳ips to a 7-4 Western Hockey League victory over the Victoria Royals at Comcast Arena.
鈥淚t was their first game with a new coach and they seized the momentum and opportunity,鈥� said Victoria head coach Dave Lowry.
Advantage Davidson, the former BCHL Victoria Salsa and Nanaimo Clippers coach and GM.
At least on this night.
The Silvertips (17-24-2) moved into the seventh playoff slot in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the idle and suddenly eighth-place Seattle Thunderbirds, and now seven points behind sixth-place Victoria (20-17-3).
Victoria concludes its Washington state sojourn tonight in Seattle against the T-Birds (16-23-3).
The Silvertips-Royals rivalry this season is taking on a bit of an edge. It began when Everett lost defenceman and 2012 NHL draft second overall pick Ryan Murray for the season with a shoulder tear after a clean collision with forward Logan Nelson in a 5-0 Royals win in Victoria on Nov. 16.
Not only did that deny sa国际传媒 a key component for the world junior championship in Russia, but it also denied the Silvertips a valuable bargaining chip to use with a 2013 championship-aspiring team in order to obtain promising younger players in return.
It was a game of swings with Everett jumping into a 2-0 lead on goals by defenceman Connor Cox, on the power play, and Stathis Soumelidis. Victoria rallied later in the first period with three consecutive goals by Tim Traber on the power play, Trent Lofthouse and defenceman Brett Cote.
Lofthouse鈥檚 tally, his 11th of the season and second in three games for Victoria as he split the defence, was particularly noteworthy coming against a Silvertips club that traded him to the Royals last week.
Then it was Everett鈥檚 turn again with three unanswered goals in the second period through Kohl Baumi, Cole MacDonald and Joshua Winquist on the power play. Austin Carroll scored for Victoria in the third before a pair of empty-netters for the 鈥橳ips.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 afford to trade goals and opportunities back and forth like that,鈥� said Lowry. 鈥淲e got caught up in that tonight and ended up on the wrong end of it.鈥�
Patrik Polivka made 26 saves in goal for Victoria, while Austin Lotz had 28 for the Silvertips.
