Victoria Grizzlies News

GRIZZLIES CLAW THEIR WAY BACK INTO SERIES

GRIZZLIES CLAW THEIR WAY BACK INTO SERIES

March 02, 2010 Sharie Epp ©Times Colonist -

NANAIMO — Welcome back Brad Pawlowski. The big Victoria defenceman returned from suspension to power the Grizzlies to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Nanaimo Clippers at Frank Crane Arena last night. Pawlowski, who missed the first two games of the first-round B.C. Hockey League playoff series, scored two goals, including one to force overtime at 18:57 of the third period, and assisted on the winner by Madison Dias at 13:55 of OT.

“It was terrible not being able to be a part of it,” said Pawlowski, who served a three-game suspension, along with goaltender Ryan Holfeld. “It was a couple of long nights of no sleep, waiting to be get back in the lineup.”

With the victory, the Grizzlies now trail the Clippers two games to one in the best-of-seven Coastal Conference series, which resumes with Game 4 tonight in Nanaimo.

The Clippers took the first two matchups, 3-2 and 4-3 (in overtime) at Bear Mountain, and the Grizzlies were a desperate team yesterday, trying to claw their way back into contention.

For the third time in as many tries, the Grizzlies surged to a lead over the Clippers. The question was could they hold onto the lead, and the answer was no. In the series opener, Victoria led 2-1 at the end of 40 minutes. In Game 2, they were up 2-0 at the end of the first period. The pattern was repeated yesterday.

“[The Clippers] work so hard, and they’re determined to win,” Victoria coach Victor Gervais said. “It’s just going to get harder and harder.”

Victoria rookie Dylan Nowakowski scored a shorthanded marker at 19:10 of the first period that was almost a carbon copy of the one he scored in Game 2. Joel Lowry stole the puck, and got it up to Nowakowski, who once again put the moves on Loic Boivin in the Nanaimo net.

When Pawlowski let the puck fly from the blue-line to scores at 1:41 of the second, the Grizzlies looked like a team bent on winning.

“He just brings presence to the game,” Gervais said. “He can play, he can score, he does it all.”

Victoria was in control, but not for long. The Clippers ratcheted up their play, and the Grizzlies struggled to keep pace. Andrew Gladiuk, at 8:30, took a pass across the crease from Brayden Jaw to post the first of three second-period Nanaimo goals.

“We have to work on that, or get a bigger lead,” Pawlowski said about Nanaimo’s comebacks.

For Nanaimo’s other two goals, Colton Cyr, on a power play at 15:42, and captain Carson Schell, at 18:20, were on Holfeld’s far right side, and used a player to the left of Holfeld’s crease as a decoy. Instead of passing to their man, they buried the puck with deadly aim.

It looked like the Grizzlies were once again going to be the victims of a meltdown, but, with Holfeld pulled for the extra attacker, Pawlowski struck again from the blueline, bouncing the puck off a Nanaimo player and into the net as the clock ticked off.

Overtime saw great saves from both goalies, and none were bigger than Holfeld’s challenging stopper on a Clipper breakaway. The Grizzlies immediately charged down to the other end, crashed the net, and scored.

“Watching from the stands was nerve-wracking and frustrating,” said Holfeld, who had talked with Pawlowski about their desire to do whatever it took to get the Grizzlies back into the series. “We just wanted to get back in the line-up, and try to contribute.”