A hard-earned single point Wednesday against No. 1 Nanaimo and back-to-back wins over Alberni Valley have kept the Victoria Grizzlies within sight of second in the B.C. Hockey League’s Island Division standings.
Last night at Frank Crane Arena, the Clippers' Ryan Coghlan scored 43 seconds into the first overtime to give the home team a 5-4 win.
Dane Gibson notched his 25th goal of the season, on the power play, with 2:35 to go in regulation to tie it at 4-4 for the Grizzlies. Linemate Matthew Kennedy scored his 19th and 20th goals of the season to lead the Victoria attack.
Heading into Friday's against Vernon at The Q Centre (7 p.m. start), Gibson leads the team in scoring with 69 points in 47 games and sits third overall in the BCHL scoring race.
Still in the hunt for second place and home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs, the Grizzlies sit four points back of Powell River, with a game in hand. Both the Clippers and Kings have clinched a playoff berth.
The Grizzlies can do the same this weekend by earning two points from their game against Vernon and another this Sunday at 2 p.m. against Langley. Sunday's home game will serve as a fundraiser to help with health-related expenses for Langford five year old Hannah Day and her family.
In other team news this week, businessman Dave Saunders was named business and community advisor for the Grizzlies, effective immediately.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com