Six games into the season, Victoria Grizzlies’ head coach and general manager Bill Bestwick was hoping for his team’s first weekend sweep.
They failed to get it in a 4-2 B.C. Hockey League loss to the Cowichan Valley Capitals at the Island Savings Centre in Duncan.
“We’d like to come out and win back-to-back [weekend] games for the first time this season,” Bestwick said before hand. “We’ll have to be at our best to come up with it though.”
They simply weren’t good enough, despite carrying the play for most of the first two periods.
Mason Malkowich, with a power-play goal, opened the scoring at 17:59 of the first period for the Capitals.
The Grizzlies carried the play out-shooting the Capitals 8-4 at one point in the first period before the hosts recorded the next five shots.
Cole Pickup tied it up at 1-1 midway through the second period for Victoria. The tally snapped Robin Gusse’s shut-out streak of more than 146 minutes.
But Taki Pantziris restored the lead for Cowichan late in the middle frame and Armand Uomoleale and Dane Gibson added third-period markers for the Capitals, who improved to 4-1 on the season. Brandon Egli had the other Victoria goal late in the third.
The Grizzlies slipped to 3-3 and will finally play host to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, who travel to Bear Mountain Arena Friday for their home-opener. The Bulldogs are off to a tough 0-6 start.
