With a six-game win streak on the line, the Westshore Wolves face a tough test Wednesday night (Dec. 14, opening faceoff 7 p.m.) at The Q Centre when the South Division-leading Victoria Cougars head to Colwood for the latest Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League showdown.
Westshore (12-13-2-1) is coming off a huge 4-2 win in Saanich in a penalty filled affair last Friday, the Wolves’ second straight over the second-place Braves.
Four different players scored for the Wolves, who led 2-0 after one period and 3-1 after two.
Cameron Coutre, Joe Gage and Michael Jensen scored on the power play, while Tyler Carpendale’s empty net goal with a minute to go in the third period came while the Wolves played shorthanded.
Westshore’s penalty kill was particularly effective, as Saanich went one for nine with the man advantage. Wolves goalie Jordan Spandli was a big part of that and picked up the win after turning aside 34 of 36 Saanich shots.
By comparison, the Wolves fired 41 at Braves goalie Riley Mathieson.
Win number 5 in a row came last Wednesday at home, when Westshore beat Comox Valley 5-4. The locals spotted the Glacier Kings the first goal then scored four of the next five goals to take the lead for good.
Comox Valley scored to make it 4-3 with a few minutes left in the third, but Brandon Tutte restored the two-goal margin for the Wolves at the 19:20 mark. The Kings’ Zachary Ahola notched his third of the game with one second left.
Coutre, Carpendale, Jordan Guiney and Nicholas Polomark also scored in the win, while Spandli made 26 saves.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com