Record Staff
Happy's Source for Sports Chiefs are hoping home ice advantage holds true this Sunday when they host the Nanaimo Clippers in a game to determine the Vancouver Island Midget Tier 1 championship.
After winning the best-of-three opener, the Chiefs were in Nanaimo last weekend for game two, where a valiant comeback went for naught as the Clippers prevailed 5-4 in overtime.
Nanaimo wasted no time setting the tone as they took an early lead, scoring their first goal a minute and half into the first period. Nanaimo scored their second with nine minutes left in the first period. The Chiefs couldn鈥檛 seem to find an answer to the aggressive Nanaimo forecheck and the period finished with Nanaimo leading 2-0.
The second period got off to a better start as Myles Powell was able to beat the defenders and scored five hole . Nanaimo wasn鈥檛 done as they came back to score twice more. The Chiefs spent a bit too much time in the penalty box in the second, playing short handed for eight minutes. Period two ended with Nanaimo leading 4-1 (three of those coming from Nanaimo鈥檚 captain Cole Newman).
The Chiefs showed what they were made of in the third and fired three unanswered goals to tie the game. Veteran Kye Kendal tallied twice: the first unassisted and the second assisted by Declan Garrood and Alexander Mullan. The equalizer came with just 1:40 left to play from Jed Martin on a nice pass from Jordan Crisp and Zach McIntyre to force overtime.
The 10-minute OT lasted a little more than five minutes and the Chiefs pressured Nanaimo for most of it; however the Clippers hit one of their players with speed through the neutral zone and he scored the game winner. Matt Bowell did an excellent job between the pipes for the Chiefs.
"Both teams showed a great deal of character and determination. Nanaimo showed that they are clearly not going down without a fight and the Chiefs demonstrated their determination by battling back in the third period from a three-goal deficit to force an overtime period, to the delight of many fans," a Chiefs' spokesperson said.
Now it鈥檚 back to the Sport Centre No. 1 for the final. Game time is 12:30 p.m. this Sunday at SC#1. "Come cheer on your Comox Valley Chiefs as they go for the Island championship right here at home," the team spokesperson said.
鈥� Happy's Source for Sports Chiefs
