The Victoria Grizzlies, whose nine goals scored in their last two home games was more than the previous four combined, look to continue honing their home-ice offensive skills in B.C. Hockey League action this week.
After travelling to Nanaimo on Wednesday (Oct. 28) to face the Clippers, the Grizzlies host Powell River on Thursday and Cowichan Valley on Friday at The Q Centre. Both home games are at 7 p.m.
The Grizzlies are coming off a three-game Interior Division road trip that saw them pile up the shots but come away with just one win.
Sunday afternoon in West Kelowna, the visitors built a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes, but couldn't hang on, as the Warriors posted a come-from-behind 4-2 win.
Victoria outshot the locals 38-37, but were stymied on a number of occasions by West Kelowna goalie Forbes Ploszaj. Brayden Gelsinger and Mitchell Barker, who scored a shorthanded goal unassisted late in the first, tallied in the loss.
Former Grizzlie Garrett Forster notched the eventual winner 4:52 into the third period.
On Saturday in Vernon, goaltenders were the first two stars of the game. The Grizzlies' Matthew Galajda, number one on the night, kicked out 31 Vipers shots for his first shutout of the season in a 2-0 Victoria win.
Counterpart Andrew Shortridge was kept busy by the Grizzlies, stopping 48 of 50 shots. The only Victoria shooters to beat him were Nick Guiney in the first period and Cole Pickup in the third.
The previous night in Salmon Arm, the hometown Silverbacks got a 37-save performance from goalie Brandon Kegler in a 5-1 win over the Grizzlies. Colby Livingstone, whose early third-period goal cut Salmon Arm's lead to 4-1, was the lone Victoria player to score.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com