The Victoria Grizzlies were held off by the Alberni Valley Bulldogs 4-2 on Friday Night at the Q Centre in Colwood, dropping them to 15-16-1 this season
The Grizzlies were looking for some revenge after a tough Friday night meeting last weekend against the Bulldogs at home, but it was not to be, as the visitors survived a late push to improve to 17-12-3 this season. The Bulldogs have now won five in a row coming out of the Christmas break.
Victoria went up early on a power-play tally from Artur Gross, but Teague McAllister tied it for the Bulldogs four seconds after a Grizzlies penalty had come to a close. The second period is where the real damage was done with Alberni outshooting Victoria 19-9 and outscoring them 2-0 on goals from Leim Smith and again Teague McAllister. The Bulldogs went up by three early in the third on a power-play goal from Kye Benoche; however, the Grizzlies pulled it right back off a breakaway finish from Matthew Jenken.
Victoria outshot their opponents 11-7 in the third and pressed with the net empty, but it was too little too late.
First Period – Special Teams Reign Supreme
Alberni jumped out on the front foot with several o-zone shifts to begin the game. Their momentum was halted when Hugo Daniel grabbed a handful of Vidar Blixt’s jersey, and he was sent to the penalty box for holding.
That penalty two hundred feet from the Alberni Valley goal proved costly, with Artur Gross finding some weak ice on the left side due to a broken Bulldogs stick. Gross sniped it in the top left corner, and the Grizzlies had the lead at 3:52.
The ice tilted in Victoria’s favor from there, but again it was halted by a penalty against the team with the upper hand. Landon Cowper was penalized for a slash in front of his goal to hinder a partial break.
Alberni didn’t score on the power play, but four seconds after it had expired, Teague McAllister jammed his 11th of the season home for what can be considered a goal caused by a power play with 9:08 gone. That is where the two teams stood after twenty.
Second Period – Bulldogs Take Control
Victoria began the second period killing a penalty and found themselves again down a player at 2:36 when Eddy Spytz was penalized for high-sticking. Shorthanded shifts for four minutes out of 4:45 made for some funky line combinations, and the Grizzlies got their seams crossed in the o-zone, resulting in a Leim Smith breakaway for the visitors. Smith deked to the backhand and beat Grizzlies goaltender Patrik Kliment to give Alberni Valley their first lead at 5:40.
The Bulldogs seemed refreshed after taking the lead and started to take the game to the Grizzlies, ultimately outshooting their hosts 19-8 in the second quarter. All the pressure paid off with a bad Grizzlies change, leaving 17-year-old Hunter Ashton playing defense on a Bulldogs rush. That proved to be a bad combination, and Teague McAllister burned him wide before lifting a puck short side and in for his second of the game.
The Bulldogs got another power play late in the second on a questionable call against Carter Hynes for high-sticking after several should have been power-play opportunities for the Grizzlies that were left uncalled. 3-1 Bulldogs after forty minutes.
Third Period – Late Push Isn’t Enough
Alberni found the twine in the first minute, as it was Kye Benoche striking on the power play for his 12th of the season. The Grizzlies’ accumulation of penalties finally caught up to them. The mistake was made to have two defenders vacate the front of the net to chase in the corner with the other two penalty killers up high, leaving Kye Benoche all alone in front of the net to make it a three-goal cushion.
Vidar Blixt had a breakaway for Victoria moments later, but Jack Hirshorn made a sharp trapper stop on him. The second time became the charm for Victoria, as defenceman Matthew Jenken was sprung on another breakaway in short order, and this time it was a profitable yield. Jenken’s breakaway wrister was just over Hirshorn’s right pad for his sixth of the season, cutting the Alberni lead to 4-2.
Victoria was a bit unlucky not to get closer on a power play shortly after, as Cooper Faughnan rang a shortside wristshot off the iron. Carter Oakenfold did the same while shorthanded, just past the halfway point of the period, while Landon Cowper was in the sin bin for hooking.
The time would run down, Victoria kept pushing with Kliment on the bench for an extra attacker, mustering six shots. None of them would find home, and the game ended disappointingly for the Grizzlies, who fell to 5-10-0 at home.
Victoria:
Goals: Artur Gross (12th) from Owen Warnick (19th) & Landon Mackie (20th) – 1st period (3:52), Matthew Jenken (6th) from Vidar Blixt (10th) – 3rd period (3:48)
Penalties: Landon Cowper – 1st period (7:04) 2:00 for Slashing, Carter Oakenfold – 1st period (19:51) 2:00 for High Sticking, Eddy Spytz – 2nd period (2:36) 2:00 for Slashing, Carter Hynes – 2nd period (18:32) 2:00 for High Sticking, Landon Cowper – 3rd period (12:26) 2:00 for Hooking
Goaltenders: Patrik Kliment (57:25) – 36 saves on 40 shots
Alberni Valley:
Goals: Teague McAllister (11th) from Ryan Small (7th) & Grady Magner (12th) – 1st period (9:08), Leim Smith (4th) from Eric Lund (3rd) – 2nd period (5:40), Teague McAllister (12th) from Alex Payie (3rd) & Leith Hunter (7th) – 2nd period (11:52), Kye Benoche (12th) from Kai Matthew (18th) & Brandon Gill (25th) – 3rd period (0:27)
Penalties: Hugo Daniel – 1st period (3:13) 2:00 for Holding, Ryan Small – 3rd period (1:17) 2:00 for Roughing, Teague McAllister – 3rd period (5:00) 2:00 for Slashing
Goaltenders: Jack Hirshorn (60:00) – 28 saves on 30 shots
