Rylan Ball has bounced around the VIJHL and BCHL for the past few seasons.
On Wednesday, Jan. 8, the versatile forward-defenceman was in uniform for the Westshore Wolves and facing one of his former VIJHL teams, the Comox Valley Glacier Kings.
Playing at The Q Centre in Victoria, the 19-year-old Ball scored two goals – including the overtime winner – as Westshore edged the Yetis 6-5.
Ball’s other goal came on the power play and he also had two assists en route to earning first star honours.
The G-Kings out shot Westshore 40-23 with Chris Smith picking up the win in net and Zachary Straza tagged with the loss. Back-up goalie Austin Piquette played 41 minutes for the Icemen.
The Wolves pounced on the Yetis from the opening face-off and were rewarded with two early goals (Jacob Malloch at 1:15 and Ball at 3:49).
Austin McNeil got one back for the visitors at 8:09, with second star James Severs restoring the two-goal lead at 13:50. Grant Iles made it 3-2 at the 15:39 mark.
Sheldon Brett’s power-play goal at 5:11 of the second pulled the Glacier Kings even, but Cory Hatcher struck at 7:08 and 16:16 (on the power play) to put the Wolves up 5-3.
Dylan Sampson scored late in the frame (18:54) to cut the gap to one, then forced the game into OT with the equalizer at 16:17 with his team shorthanded.
But Ball wasn’t going to let his former team have the last word, as his lit the lamp at 1:37 of the extra session to give Westshore the win.
G-Kings’ Derian Hamilton (four assists) was the game’s third star while Sampson finished with three points (2g, 1a).
The one point for the OT loss moved the Icemen one point up on the Nanaimo Buccaneers and into sole possession of second place in the North Division.
The Yetis return to action Saturday, Jan. 10 when they host South Division leading Victoria Cougars in a 7:30 p.m. start at the Comox Valley Sports Centre.
ICE CHIPS Ball was with the G-Kings in 2011-12 and 2012-13 … he played a handful of his 89 VIJHL games for the Peninsula Panthers in 2013-14 and 2014-15 … he has played 37 Jr. A games with BCHL stops including the Alberni Valley Bulldogs in 2012-13, Cowichan Valley Capitals in 2013-14 and his hometown Powell River Kings in 2014-15 … the VIJHL trade deadline is Jan. 10 … the Glacier Kings host this year’s VIJHL All Star Classic on Jan. 18 at 1:30 p.m. at the Sports Centre … banquet tickets are now available from Marsha at glacierkings@shaw.ca or by phone at 1-250-334-4709 with Jan. 15 the deadline to RSVP… the banquet gets underway at 10 a.m. upstairs at the Filberg Conference Centre with food at 11 a.m. followed by introductions, guest speakers and jersey presentations …
