Glacier Kings goalie Ryder Lally showed why he was chosen to represent the Comox Valley in the annual Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League All-Star Game Sunday in Lake Cowichan.
Lally came into the game in the second period, with the score 2-1 in favour of his North Division squad.
He stopped 22 of 23 shots faced in his 20 minutes of play, as the North took control of the game, scoring four times for a 6-2 lead after two.
The teams traded four goals apiece in the third, and the North outscored the South 4-2 in a 10-minute overtime period, four a 14-8 victory.
Defenceman Henry Toomer led the way offensively for the Glacier Kings, with four assists in the game. Aodhan Hildebrandt (two assists), Logan Furlong (three assists), Tynan Klein-Beekman (one assist) and Alex Bend also represented the Comox Valley in the match.
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The 25-14-1-1 Yetis did not have their best performance one day before the all-star extravaganza.
They hosted the 23-17-0-0 Kerry Park Islanders, who scored five unanswered goals to turn a 2-2 second-period tie into a 7-2 runaway victory.
2007 affiliate Beau Murray, and centre Joe Weber scored the Comox Valley goals.
Ryan Knight started the game in the Comox Valley net, but was pulled in favour of Lally 29 seconds into the third period, after giving up the fifth Kerry Park goal. The Islanders also scored two goals in the final two minutes of the second period.
Saturday鈥檚 blip notwithstanding, Comox Valley coach Mike Nesbitt has been pleased with his goaltending duo to this point in the season.
Lally (22 games played, 12 wins, six losses, 3.30 goals against, .897 save percentage) and Knight (9 GP, 6-3, 2.87 GAA, .916 SP) have given the Yetis a solid last line of defence since Knight joined the team Nov. 29.
鈥淲e are going to rotate them all the way through until the playoffs - a 1A, 1B type of system,鈥� said Nesbitt. 鈥淥bviously a 20-year-old in Ryan Knight has a lot of junior A experience under his belt, and Ryder Lally, who has some VIJHL playoff experience as a 19-year-old - I couldn鈥檛 be happier with our goaltending situation. We will just let it play out and on March 1, come playoff time, we will make the decision as to which guy is going.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take the whole roster to win a playoff series and when we get into the playoffs - most likely against Oceanside - it will take all four lines, all six D and two good goaltenders (to have success).鈥�
The Glacier Kings host the 24-13-3-1 Westshore Wolves on Saturday. Puck drops at 7:30 p.m.
