First place overall in the B.C. Hockey League will be on the line this afternoon at 2 p.m. as the Victoria Grizzlies entertain the hard-charging Penticton Vees at Bear Mountain Arena.
The Vees are on a seven-game win streak, defeating the Cowichan Valley Capitals 5-1 on Saturday night, while the Grizzlies edged the Alberni Valley Eagles 3-2 in overtime thanks to Garret Forster’s game-winning goal at Weyerhaeuser Arena in Port Alberni.
Penticton moved two points ahead of the Powell River Kings, which lost 5-2 in Langley on Saturday. The Grizzlies also slipped a point past the Kings, who have three games in hand on Victoria.
“It’s an absolutely huge end to the weekend here getting closer to the Christmas break,” said Grizzlies goaltender Nic Renyard, who backed up Alec Dillon on Saturday after backstopping Victoria to a 5-1 win over Powell River on Friday.
“That’s two of the best teams in the league coming in here,” Renyard said of Friday’s win and today’s game. “We got a couple of points against Powell River and it would be nice to get two more on Sunday because, at this time of the year, things get super tight in the standings.”
Renyard could draw back in as a starter today after Dillon improved to 12-3-2 in Alberni.
Triplets Gerry and Myles Fitzgerald, whose brother, Leo, remains out of the lineup due to injury, had a goal and an assist apiece to build up a 2-0 lead over the Bulldogs after one period. It stayed that way until Tryg Strand scored for the hosts early in the third. Mitch Makin tied it with a short-handed Alberni goal at 6:30.
The Grizzlies were without Storm Wahlrab, who is sitting out a two-game suspension. Wahlrab will be reduced to a role as cheerleader again today.
“Powell River came into our barn and took two points from us last week, kind of stomped on us. We wanted to stomp on them [on Friday] and take those two points back,” said Wahlrab. “Penticton is always a good team and we have to match their intensity on Sunday.”
IN THE DEN: Fans can join the team and Santa for the Grizzlies’ annual Christmas skate following today’s game. A helmet is required.
mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com
Twitter/tc_vicsports
© Copyright 2013
