December 15, 2019 Victoria, BC (ISN) – BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies (13-23-0-0), with a dominant offensive performance, defeated a tough Nanaimo Clippers (22-10-1-2) team to sweep a two-game, home and home series with a solid 6-3 game-two performance on “Help Fill a Dream Night” at the Q Centre Saturday night in Colwood, BC.

Despite their record, the Grizzlies have stymied the Clippers, outscoring their second-place, island division opponent by a cumulative two-game score of 9-4, and no doubt has a few division rival teams looking over their shoulders as Victoria’s play heats up, looking to climb in the BCHL standings with only two months remaining in the regular season. The Grizzlies have won 5 out of six games since mid-November.

Rookies Cody Monds and Chase McInnis would lead the way for the bruins Saturday night with a pair of goals each in front of 1243 fans in attendance for the Grizzlies annual Teddy Bear Toss night. Monds would also get a helper in the third period to finish with three points on the night. Defenseman Colton Kitchen and forward Vincent Nardone would also add a goal each to give Nanaimo native turned Grizzlies goalie Blake Wood his eighth win, and his second against his hometown Clippers this season.

Nanaimo would get first period scoring from Josh Kagan, and third period markers from Ethan Scardina and Tim Washe in the loss for the Clippers.

The Grizzlies’ Monds would get his team on the scoreboard first, taking liberty on the man advantage to score his fourteenth goal of the season six minutes into the opening period, beating Clippers netminder Zachary Bennett. Nanaimo would counter at the eleven-minute mark to draw even on a goal by Josh Kagan. Shots on goal would favour the Clippers 15/14 at the end of one period of play.

The second period of play would be carried by Victoria as the Grizzlies goalie Wood would turn aside all ten Clipper’s shots on net. Victoria would break the knotted score with a Chase McInnis goal to open the period. The Grizzlies Monds would net his second goal of the evening late in the period, also on the power play, after some fist-to-cuffs would see both sides assessed roughing, misconduct, and game misconduct penalties for their extra-curricular activites . The Grizzlies would take a 3-1 lead in to the final frame.

Victoria would start the third period of play the same way they left the second period with offensive dominance. Victoria would score twice only thirty seconds apart to open the final period of play to take a stranglehold of the game, going up 5-1 before the Clippers would find some offensive spark, scoring on an Ethan Scardina goal at the twelve-minute mark. Tim Washe, perhaps catching the hometown Grizzlies flat-footed with a three-goal lead, would score five minutes later as the Clippers would climb back into the game, down by a pair of goals with two minutes remaining.

Too little, too late for the Clippers, Victoria’s Vincent Nardone would score unassisted into an empty net with one minute remaining to turn aside a resilient Nanaimo effort and seal the 6-3 victory for his Victoria Grizzlies.

Grizzlies’ Marty Wetshaver, Brendan Bowie, and Alex DiPaolo would finish the game with two assists each, while Andrew Amousse, James Davenport, and Cody Monds would each contribute with an assist.
Nanaimo would get assists from Mike Kennedy, Travis Walton, Liam Ryan, and Steven Agriogianis.
The Nanaimo Clippers would outshoot Victoria 42/47.
Monds, Wood, and McInnis of the Grizzlies would be named the three stars of the game for their efforts.
Both teams will rekindle the matchup in another home and home series next weekend, December 20thand 21st, as Nanaimo would look to even the season series at 2-2.