Last weekend was an eventful one for the Victoria Grizzlies Junior A team.
The Grizzlies managed to come from behind on the weekend to break a rocky losing streak. The low-scoring B.C. Hockey League club put nine goals on the scoreboard between the two weekend games. Before the weekend the team had been averaging less than two goals a game.
Friday night the Grizzlies outshot visiting Powell River Kings 29-14 in the first 40 minutes of play but found themselves trailing 2-1 in the third. The Grizzlies managed to put three in the back of the net within roughly two minutes of each other to pull ahead. Two goals from Cole Pickup, with others from Chuck Bennis and Kevin Massy put the team ahead on the scoreboard with rookie Keyvan Mokhtari adding another goal to make it 5-2 at the final buzzer.
Sunday’s game went a little differently than hoped for by the Grizzlies. Short-handed and trailing 2-1 as the last few seconds of the first period trickled down, Grizzlies’ Joseph Visconti recorded his first goal of the season to tie the game. Visconti was back at it in the second making it 3-2 for the Grizzlies. The Capitals answered back, tying it up again. With the clock on the second period winding down Grizzlies forward Cole Pickup found the mesh giving the Grizzlies a 4-3 lead.
But the Capitals hit the ice hard in the third scoring two unanswered goals tipping the scoreboard 5-4 in their favour.
New additions to the team’s roster hit the ice this weekend. Former Prince George Spruce Kings’ forward Luc Soares joined the lineup, as Sage Fleming was released. Fleming chose to return to California rather than play Junior B.
Also joining the roster on the weekend was Colby Livingstone. Livingstone, a six-foot, 190-pound forward played in the Maritime Hockey League last season.
Grizzlies are on the road this week, returning home on Thursday, Oct. 29, against the Powell River Kings and Friday, Oct. 30 against the Cowichan Capitals.
katie@goldstreamgazette.com