Saturday, September 19, 2015 – Submitted by Mario Annicchiarico / Times Colonist
It’s either an awful coincidence or a bad trend.
The Victoria Grizzlies have allowed the first goal of the game on three straight occasions and have come up with three consecutive losses to fall to 0-3 early into the B.C. Hockey League season.
Scott Clark scored just 1:17 into the game, his first of two on the night, as the Alberni Valley Bulldogs skated to a 3-2 home-ice win at Weyerhaeuser Arena.
The Bulldogs improve to 1-1 while the Grizzlies — who lost 4-2 the night previous in Nanaimo — are still looking for win No. 1. They will now head to the BCHL Showcase next weekend in Chilliwack, facing the host Chiefs on Saturday and the Prince George Spruce Kings a week from today at 1 p.m.
Victoria’s first home game at The Q Centre faces off on Oct. 1 against the Coquitlam Express.
P.J. Conlon scored the first of his two for the Grizzlies with 20 seconds remaining in the second period Saturday, but Clark deflected in his second at 8:22 of the third.
Josh Adkins collected an empty-netter with 31 seconds remaining before Conlon struck with just under six seconds on the clock to end the scoring.
Nico Somerville, a late Grizzlies’ training camp cut and Port Alberni native, dressed as an affiliated player, up from the Victoria Cougars. Colin Blake of the Campbell River Storm was also brought up.
Mitchell Benson made his first regular-season start in goal for Victoria and made 42 saves.
Chris Tai earned the win in goal for the Bulldogs with 30 stops.
