Brian Drewry / The Times Colonist
OCTOBER 10, 2021 05:50 PM
They didn’t have their captain and leading scorer from last season in Ellis Rickwood, but the Victoria Grizzlies definitely had their other offensive star and that was enough to get by the Cowichan Valley Capitals on Sunday afternoon at The Q Centre.
Matthew Wood continued his torrid early pace scoring once and setting up another goal to pace the Grizzlies to a 3-1 victory over the Capitals as the Grizzlies finish the B.C. Hockey League’s opening weekend with a 2-0 record.
With Rickwood missing Sunday’s contest with an injury, the 16-year-old Wood picked up right where he left off Friday night when he racked up four points in a victory over the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. And it only took the Nanaimo product 36 seconds Sunday to get on the scoresheet when he slid the puck over to linemate Jack Gorton on a two-on-one and Gorton one-timed it past Caps goaltender Evan May.
Wood, who’s headed to the UConn Huskies of the NCAA in the fall of 2023, also completed the scoring when he finished off a nice feed from Connor Eddy on an early third-period power play to put the Grizzlies’ win on ice.
Michael Hoekstra put the Grizzlies up 2-0 midway through the first period, banging home a rebound from in close.
Luke Haymes was the only Cap to beat Grizzlies netminder Carter Woodside when he went top corner at the 12-minute mark of the first.
Woodside finished with 22 saves for his second straight win, while May stopped 37 shots as the Capitals fall to 0-2 on the season.
The Grizzlies now hit the road for three straight games this week beginning Wednesday night in Duncan against the Capitals. Then it’s into Port Alberni on Friday to face the Bulldogs, before taking on the the Capitals again on Saturday night in Duncan.
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